Heading into the final stretch of the 2023 NFL season, the Miami Dolphins are in a good spot.
At 10-4, Miami leads the AFC East by two games over the 8-6 Buffalo Bills, looking poised to capture their first division title since 2008.
It hasn’t been without criticism from some circles, especially around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Some have questioned if his substantial improvement this season has had more to do with wide receiver Tyreek Hill than anything he’s done.
Discussing those kinds of narratives with the media Wednesday, Tagovailoa said that while, on the one hand, he doesn’t listen to any of it, on the other hand, he’s keeping receipts.
“I keep receipts.”
Tua Tagovailoa gave a strong response today when asked about proving wrong media narrative that he’s only good because of or with Tyreek Hill. pic.twitter.com/4Gmo0Qn0zS
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 20, 2023
“Everyone wants to make this about me, about Tyreek. Please, keep pushing it to Tyreek. Make it about Tyreek,” Tagovailoa said. “I understand that my platform and who I am in this league as a quarterback makes me, if you want, polarizing. Whether I’m the best, whether I’m the worst. I could care less. I don’t listen to it.”
Despite saying he doesn’t care and doesn’t listen to it, Tagovailoa immediately contradicted himself.
“At the end of the day, I really don’t care… I keep receipts. We all have a way of how we do things. But all the narratives about it, yeah, sure. I am only good with Tyreek in. You’re right. That is the only time that I’m at my best. You’re right. I’m only good when Jaylen [Waddle]’s in… I’m only as good as Raheem Mostert allows me to be. That’s what the narrative needs to be and we’re able to win games and we’re able to go where we want to go as a team. I am the worst football player, if that’s what you want.”
Hill leads the NFL with 1,542 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, but it’s worth noting that Tagovailoa played one of the best games of his career last week against the Jets without him. Tagovailoa went 21-for-24 for 221 passing yards and a touchdown in the 30-0 victory while his star receiver watched from the sidelines.
