Tua Tagovailoa apologizes for postgame comments calling out teammates

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa apologized for comments he made following Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which he revealed some teammates were showing up late to player-led meetings.

Tagovailoa opened his news conference Wednesday with an apology to his teammates for the comments, which have drawn widespread criticism over the past few days.

“As a leader of this team, of the Miami Dolphins, the comments that had been said, I’ve made a mistake,” Tagovailoa said, “and I’m owning up to that right now. I’ve talked to guys on the team about it, talked to the leaders about it, and they know my heart. They know that the intent was right. But no matter the intent … when things get misconstrued or however the media wants to portray it, that leaves a void of silence and a lot of questions for the guys on our team.

“Now being 1-5, we talk a lot about, ‘We’ve got to get this going, come in excited to go to work, forget about the noise.’ And I feel like I just added onto that for our guys.”

After the Dolphins fell 29-27 to the Chargers, Tagovailoa was asked how to keep up team morale after a second straight game in which they had a chance to put their opponent away but failed to deliver.

“I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys,” Tagovailoa said Sunday, “and then what we’re expecting out of the guys. We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that?

“We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meetings. There is a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make that mandatory? Do we not have to make that mandatory? So it’s a lot of things of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. It starts with the little things like that.”

His comments drew widespread scrutiny from former NFL players and analysts criticizing the quarterback for publicly calling out teammates. Coach Mike McDaniel said that while Tagovailoa’s intent may have been right, a postgame news conference was not the right forum to voice those frustrations.

Tagovailoa and McDaniel referred to the incident as a learning opportunity.

“I’ve got to look at myself as the leader, protecting the team. I don’t feel like I did that to the best of my abilities,” Tagovailoa said. “I let the emotions of the game get to me after the game. And that’s something that I can learn from as a leader on this team. What happens in-house should be protected, and none of that should have gotten out. So I want to publicly apologize about that.”

Tagovailoa said he has since had conversations with teammates to clear the air. Several players were asked about his comments this week and declined to discuss the matter in detail, only mentioning that team issues should be kept in-house.

The Dolphins can hardly afford any more distractions amid a season in which they’ve consistently struggled on the field. McDaniel, who has repeatedly spoken of Miami’s improved culture this season, said the team is ready to move on to Sunday’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

“The first, last and only thing, if I have anything to say about it – and I did in several meetings today – is the Cleveland Browns and our focus within that regard,” McDaniel said. “Absolutely, he communicated with his teammates both in group and individually, and there’s much bigger fish to fry in our team’s opinion and my opinion.”