Tua Tagovailoa Matured as Leader with Tyreek Hill Comments, Dolphins' McDaniel Says

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa told reporters in July that Tyreek Hill had to "work that relationship up; you've got to build everything back up again" after the veteran wideout removed himself from the final game of the 2024 season and suggested he would be fine playing elsewhere.

Tagovailoa's message in July was that Hill—who later publicly apologized—was putting in the work to make amends with his Dolphins' teammates and coaches. Head coach Mike McDaniel believed Tagovailoa's comments were a sign that he's growing as a leader.

"I thought it was a maturation, or graduation, of Tua as the leader of the team," he said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (2:00 mark). "And also, I think it speaks to how healthy they are. There haven't been that many opportunities for the public to see them interact, but as time passes you'll see a more connected relationship."

Generally, players will offer generic remarks when asked about the inner workings of a team and the relationships between teammates, especially when there has been controversy. But Tagovailoa has been very open about Hill and the process of rebuilding trust this offseason.

"I think there's a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek. He's conversating a lot more with the guys, not just about football but about things off the field," Tagovailoa told reporters in July. "Being vulnerable with some of the things that people know about his personal life and things of that nature. And I think that's the first step to him. Building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there."