Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa on Learning How to Fall: It's 'A Lot Cooler Than You Think'

In an effort to better protect himself and avoid the concussions that sidelined him during the 2022 season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took weekly jiu-jitsu classes this offseason to learn how to better control his falls.

"We used crash pads to land on first," Tagovailoa said, per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. "Tucking your chin, that was one of the deals, but it went a lot more into the technique of how to disperse your energy when you fall.

"Kind of like the posture you want to be in, [and] if you're not presented with that posture, what are other things that you can do to help you disperse the energy when you fall. So, it's a lot of those things. It's actually a lot cooler than you think when you hear of learning how to fall."

Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions last season when he fell and hit the back of his head on the turf.

He was stretchered off the field and taken to a hospital during a particularly scary scene during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the NFL even changed its concussion protocol in the wake of his injuries.

"Everything that I did this offseason entailed what would keep me on the field for the entirety of the season," Tagovailoa said. "We understand that freaky things can happen. It's football. It's a physical sport. Not everything that you prepare for is what you're going to get. So, I did the best that I could to get myself ready and prepped for this season as far as injuries go."

If he does stay healthy with his new training, the Dolphins figure to be a contender after reaching the playoffs last season.

They went 8-5 in his starts and 1-3 when he was sidelined during the regular season and then lost to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs when he was out. Their best chance to compete in the loaded AFC East with the Bills and New York Jets is by keeping him under center, and he worked toward that goal this offseason.

Miami starts the 2023 campaign on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers.