Video: Ryan Clark Apologizes to Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa for Criticizing His Weight

ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark issued an apology Thursday for comments he made earlier this week criticizing Tua Tagovailoa's physique.

In a video message on X, formerly known as Twitter, Clark explained he was wrong to say what he said and how he said it before issuing an apology to Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins.

Clark's comment came during a segment on Monday's episode of NFL Live.

As the crew was discussing Tagovailoa's performance in the Dolphins' preseason game against the Houston Texans, Clark joked the quarterback's body looked "thick" and it appeared as if he "wasn't in the gym" much during the offseason.

Tagovailoa was unhappy with Clark's comments when asked about them during a press conference after Wednesday's practice.

Head coach Mike McDaniel came to the defense of his quarterback on Thursday, telling reporters Tagovailoa took his offseason conditioning routine "to another level."

Tagovailoa deliberately spent the offseason trying to improve his body in an attempt to avoid injuries that have cost him playing time in each of the past two seasons.

Per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, Tagovailoa at one point increased his weight to 238 pounds in part by "increasing the weight he lifted and reps per set" before cutting down to 225 pounds before training camp in order to maintain his mobility.

For perspective, Tagovailoa weighed in at 217 pounds during the NFL scouting combine three years ago leading up to the 2020 draft. The 25-year-old has also been open about incorporating jiu-jitsu training into his routine to teach himself how to fall in ways that would protect his head and neck after he suffered multiple concussions last season.

"The dude is working his tail off," Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold told Louis-Jacques about Tagovailoa. "As a football player, as a teammate, that's what you love. You want to be accountable, and that dude is as accountable as anybody."

Last season was the best year of Tagovailoa's NFL career from an on-field performance standpoint, but it also combined with the concussion issues that led him to ponder retirement for a period of time during the offseason.

Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 64.8 completion percentage in 13 starts last season. He missed Miami's final three games, including a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, after suffering a concussion on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers.