Tua Tagovailoa revealed some Dolphins players have been late, or skipped, player-only meetings, of which there have been a few as the losses have mounted.
MIAMI GARDENS — This was all supposed to be in the past. Wasn't it?
That's what we were told all summer.
The culture had changed inside the Miami Dolphins building. Players were going to be held accountable. No more being late for meetings. No more country-club atmosphere.
But quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not happy after the spiraling Dolphins' 29-27 loss to the Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium, and part of that sour mood was brought on by something that apparently has festered inside the building and something Tua wants to change.
Tagovailoa revealed some players have been late, or skipped, player-only meetings, of which there have been a few as the losses have mounted. The comment came minutes after the Dolphins implode once again with the game on the line, allowed Los Angeles to drive 44 yards in the final minute to set up Cameron Dicker's 33-yard game-winning field goal with five seconds remaining.
Tua was asked how the team fights off a "woe is me" attitude after, yet, another game the Dolphins gave away by not finishing.
The quarterback, team leader and its highest paid player said it starts with those leaders setting the standard, and not accepting anything less.
"We have guys showing up for player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meetings," he said. "There's a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory?
"It's a lot of things of that nature we got to get cleaned up and it starts with the little things like that."
Tua then was asked to clarify: Was he saying players were late or missed player-only meetings.
"Late, yeah," he said.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks was asked about Tua's comments and wanted no part of the controversy.
Brooks was asked what's happening with those meetings.
"Nothing," he said. "I don’t have a comment on that, honestly."
Mike McDaniel leaving it to players to clean up issue
Coach Mike McDaniel's response: He is leaving all the responsibility on the players to clean up this issue, revealing the team has "delivered" on everything he's asked of them off the field and leaving this issue completely in the hands of the players.
"Player-led meetings are extra things outside of what I demand," McDaniel said, before adding the players have been "very accountable" to him.
"It sounds like there was something on his mind with regard to specific meetings with a couple of individuals he was trying to get corrected with direct communication.
"I think that's the only way to lead. As far as where we've been at as a program, we've opened the air on all that and it's very clear how we hold people accountable and what's not negotiable with all those things. Clearly, he's sending a message but from my standpoint everything that I've asked of the guys they have delivered on and I'm sure whomever he's talking to they'll deliver as well."
To be clear, player-led meetings are far different from a coach's attendance-mandatory meetings. But it's still a very bad look that things are starting to unravel.
McDaniel was outspoken on his demands this year about the "non-negotiable" team rules after the team's 8-9 finish. Players reported the atmosphere was relaxed in 2024 and not all were following McDaniel's rules.
That alone makes Tua's revelation damning.
Tua was clear the breakdowns, whether early or late, are team wide. And it is 100 percent correct Tua and the offense did their job in the fourth quarter, overcoming a two-score deficit to take the lead with 46 second to play even if saying the only thing was "my job there was to score," may not sit well.
Not so when he dismissed a third quarter in which the Dolphins' two possessions netted minus-11 yards and Tua's second of his three interceptions.
"The only thing – my job there was to score," he said. "Literally. If not, we would've lost the game. After that, cheering on the defense, cheering on the special teams guys to go out there.
"It's the NFL. Anything can happen. Even at that five-second mark, if we did get a completion and we were able to do whatever the Miami Miracle is that happened, that would've been sweet. But anything can happen in the league."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins late for players-only meetings, Tua Tagovailoa not happy
Category: Football
