The Miami Dolphins’ season continues to spiral as frustration grows both inside and outside the locker room. After quarterback Tua Tagovailoa publicly criticized teammates for showing up late, or not at all, to players-only meetings following the team’s 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, multiple NFL veterans questioned his leadership approach.
According to The Athletic’s James Palmer, several players around the league believe Tagovailoa may have been targeting a specific teammate, and that making such comments publicly was “a mistake that can divide a locker room.”
Now, a former NFL quarterback has joined the chorus of critics, and he didn’t hold back. Speaking to reporter Ralph Vacchiano, as reported by Fox Sports, the unnamed ex-QB said he was “shocked” by Tagovailoa’s decision to air grievances in front of the media.
“Think about it: when do you ever hear a quarterback criticizing his teammates for anything?” the former player said. “We don’t do that. We suck it up, take the blame for all the mistakes, and never throw anyone under the bus. We may rip into them privately — that’s fine. But the key is it stays private.”
He added that even though Tagovailoa didn’t mention anyone by name, the implications were broad enough to spark unnecessary tension. “He kind of implicated everybody,” the former quarterback continued.
“The media is going to ask all of them, ‘Were you late? Who was?’ He created a witch hunt — an unnecessary distraction. And his teammates are going to be pissed about that.”
Tagovailoa has already faced pushback from within his own team, as several Dolphins players reportedly voiced disappointment about the remarks. Head coach Mike McDaniel also addressed the issue, emphasizing that such matters should remain internal.
“That’s beyond a rookie mistake,” the ex-quarterback added. “That team is bad enough. They didn’t need this. And Tua isn’t exactly lighting it up either.”
After the backlash, Tagovailoa apologized publicly, saying he let emotions get the best of him after the loss and that “what happens in-house should stay in-house.” Still, the damage may already be done.
The Dolphins, sitting at 1-5, will need more than apologies to turn their season around, starting with how their quarterback leads them moving forward.
