Tua Tagovailoa Says He'll Do 'Everything I Can to Stay Available' amid Injury History

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa knows his availability is a top priority for he and the team heading into the 2025 NFL season.

Tagovailoa told reporters Tuesday his general approach is "doing everything I can to stay available for the guys." As an example, he cited a need to protect himself on a play-by-play basis.

"I would say the longevity for me to be on the field with my guys is more important than whatever that one play is," he said.

Tagovailoa has made it through a full season just once in his first five years. In 2024, he was sidelined for four weeks because of a concussion and then missed the final two weeks after suffering a hip injury.

Beyond his value to the Dolphins, the concern with Tagovailoa is particularly acute given his concussion history. He has had three diagnosed concussions in his NFL career, and people have wondered aloud in the past whether he should walk away from the game to preserve his long-term health.

During the 2023 offseason, Tagovailoa said he was training in jiu-jitsu to improve his body control. The idea is that he might learn how to fall in ways that would lessen the risk of an injury. While the southpaw made it through 2023 unscathed, it was a different story the following year.

Nobody questions Tagovailoa's desire to be more durable. But some players are simply snakebitten when it comes to injuries, and it can be tough for a player to change the way he instinctually acts in a game.

Miami invested a lot in Tagovailoa. This is the first year of the $212.4 million extension last summer. The organization will undoubtedly agree he should avoid contact as much as possible, even if it means sacrificing a few yards on a play.

The question nobody knows the answer to is whether that will make a tangible difference toward his health.