Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa: 'I Wasn't Comfortable My Rookie Year'

Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa acknowledged he didn't play up to his own expectations as a rookie in 2020.

Tagovailoa told reporters Wednesday he generally "wasn't comfortable" throughout his first year, which impacted his performance:

The 23-year-old finished with 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 appearances with the team.

While those numbers don't jump off the page, two major factors were working against Tagovailoa.

The dislocated hip that ended his final season at Alabama limited his preseason preparations. The COVID-19 pandemic, meanwhile, forced a lot of offseason activities to be done remotely or with as little in-person contact as possible.

That Tagovailoa played as much as he did was probably a bit of a surprise since some thought he might be effectively redshirted due to the hip injury.

The 6'0" signal-caller said he's feeling much better physically compared to this time last year:

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported in January the Dolphins were a possible landing spot for Deshaun Watson, who's grown unhappy with the Houston Texans. Tagovailoa would then go to Houston in any swap.

The trade buzz around Watson has generally quieted down after he became the subject of 22 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and sexual misconduct.

With Tagovailoa still positioned as Miami's quarterback of the future, the franchise has worked to strengthen his supporting cast. The Dolphins signed Will Fuller V and selected Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and Boston College tight end Hunter Long in the 2021 draft.