Tua Tagovailoa hasn't thrown an interception through the first seven practices of Dolphins training camp. But he's not patting himself on the back, because that's not his way of keeping score this season.
“I’m not really basing it off of what the result is or isn’t for myself in this training camp,” Tagovailoa told reporters Wednesday, via Sport's Illustrated's Michael France. “I have about two or three things max that I have for myself that I’m focusing on for each practice. I can tell you two of the three things, I did not do really well today.”
Now entering his sixth NFL season, Tagovailoa said he’s moved away from tracking stats or completion percentages during camp. Instead, he’s centered on personal benchmarks; the subtle fundamentals and reads that might not show up on a stat sheet.
“The biggest difference is how I would rate my practices based off of the result, that’s how I would gauge it,” he said. “I figured out maybe within the past two or three years, kind of having a process, kind of having things to work on for yourself while staying on top of your other things, it helped me.”
It’s a mature approach from a quarterback who knows the weight on his shoulders. The Dolphins are undoubtedly talented, but questions remain about the teams longevity and chemistry. Tagovailoa ended last season on the sideline with a hip dislocation, his concussion history is well-documented, and the wide-receiver situation remains rocky, less than two months away from the regular season.
Behind him, the quarterback depth chart has a new look, with former Jets starter Zach Wilson and Texas rookie Quinn Ewers both adjusting to a new system. But despite some fan skepticism about the pair, Tagovailoa had high praise for both.
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“I think Quinn has been balling,” he said. “He’s been buying into what he’s been told in the quarterback room... He’s been doing really well.”
“Zach has been doing pretty good as well,” he added. “They’ll continue to get me better, I’ll continue to get those guys better.”
But for now, Tagovailoa is less concerned with putting up clean stat lines in practice and more focused on sharpening the finer points of his game. His goal right now seems to be progress, and the pick-free start to camp is just one sign that the process is paying off.
Whether that carries into joint practices or preseason reps remains to be seen. But after six seasons, Tagovailoa appears to have found a more grounded approach and even more trust in the QB room behind him.