MIAMI -- Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will play his first regular-season game in nine months when his Miami Dolphins face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and while he admits there are some jitters involved with starting a new season, he doesn't believe it will take him long to shake them off.
Tagovailoa last played in a regular-season game Dec. 25, 2022, when he suffered his second diagnosed concussion of the season and was effectively shut down by the Dolphins. The fourth-year pro used a personalized jiu-jitsu and breakfall training program this offseason to learn how to fall properly, and he gained eight pounds of muscle.
Everything he did this offseason, he said, was done with one main goal in mind -- staying healthy over the course of a full season. As a result, his teammates and coaches aren't concerned about his health as they begin a new season.
"If I worried about stuff that could possibly happen ... I'd be spending a lot of time worrying about something that probably, by statistics, didn't happen," coach Mike McDaniel said. "I'm very confident because he hasn't wasted a day in getting ready for the season. That was a huge goal for him, he understands what he means to this football team and I can tell you honestly that he doesn't take that for granted."
Tagovailoa's durability has been a popular topic throughout his career; he has yet to play a full slate of games in any of his three NFL seasons. He said he feels "far, far away" from last season both physically and mentally, after missing five games -- including a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills -- and being knocked out of another.
The Alabama product said he cherishes the opportunity to play with his teammates again, and one of his fellow captains, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, has noticed the quarterback's energy as he makes his return to the field.
"Tua is the same guy each and every day. He's always happy, he's always grateful for this opportunity," Hill said. "Just by me looking at him, I can tell he's ready. That's why we had those moments in the preseason, so whenever he's out there in real action for the whole game it's not like, 'Oh my gosh, here I am. I'm back on the field.'
"He's definitely excited, man, I can just watch it. The way he's throwing the ball out there on the field each and every day. Completing passes, talking trash while he's doing it. He's showing swag each and every day. He's leveling up each and every day."
Tagovailoa's first game back will be against a team he struggled against a season ago. The Chargers beat the Dolphins 23-17 with Tagovailoa completing just 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards -- 60 of which came on his lone touchdown pass to Hill. In the loss, he posted one of the worst completion percentages over expectation and one of the worst off-target percentages of his career -- at 15.7% and 20.8%, respectively.
He said it usually takes a series to shake any nerves and expects the same to apply Sunday.
"I think it's different for everyone. I think the first game is always a little more jittery than every other game," Tagovailoa said. "Because you're getting your body back into the mindset of, 'Alright, this is a 60-minute ball game, I got to be on for the next three hours, and I can't shut off.' Like, 'I got to constantly understand my protection issues, where the guys are going to be,' things like that. I definitely think once you get the first completion, get a drive started, you know, you sort of get into the groove.
"There's some things that I have as far as self-talk throughout the week. But outside of that, you just got to go out there, trust what you see and you just got to go and play."
McDaniel said it's "human nature" for both him to hear the concerns about his health and durability, but he hasn't heard any of those concerns from his quarterback. Their focus, he said, remains on "the next play," and their ability to compartmentalize.
Whether he starts hot or meets early adversity, McDaniel wants Tagovailoa to take this week one snap at a time.
"It's hard enough to play in this league -- you can't worry about extra stuff," McDaniel said. "I just want him to go throughout today and get everything mentally out of today and then approach tomorrow, where we get into some more situational stuff, and then Friday the same thing. ... You shouldn't stand on entitlement of previous plays if they were good, or you shouldn't shame yourself if you didn't like the result.
"That mental fortitude, that strong mindedness is something that not many people have, but Tua is wired that way, which gives him a chance to succeed."