Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Takes Shot at 'Keyboard Warriors' After OTA Criticism

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa bristles at criticism he has received heading into his third NFL season.

Addressing "Twitter warriors" and "keyboard warriors," Tagovailoa told reporters Thursday he isn't concerned with outside opinions about his game, particularly his arm strength:

Per Stathead, Tagovailoa is 30th in adjusted yards per attempt (6.39) among the 41 quarterbacks who threw at least 300 passes over the last two years. In 2021, he had the third-fewest average intended air yards (7.0), according to NFL's Next Gen Stats.

Selecting Jaylen Waddle, who averaged 18.9 yards per reception at Alabama, with the sixth overall pick last year was supposed to help Tagovailoa and the Dolphins passing game expand down the field. Instead, Waddle eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards but averaged just 9.8 yards per catch.

While Miami has added Tyreek Hill to the mix, the discourse about Tagovailoa's arm strength remains.

That includes close scrutiny whenever a clip of Tagovailoa working out this offseason surfaces. While the Dolphins were trying to hype up the Tagovailoa-Hill partnership, many observers noted how the southpaw's throw was wobbly and didn't hit the receiver in stride.

Hill offered a strong endorsement of his starting quarterback, telling reporters in May that Tagovailoa "actually has probably one of the prettiest balls I've ever caught in my life" and is "very accurate."

Ultimately, nothing Tagovailoa does on the practice field will win over his skeptics. His performance in the regular season will determine how the perception of his abilities takes shape.