Mike McDaniel: Tua Tagovailoa is reaping benefits of martial arts training

Funny thing happened to Tua Tagovailoa as he trained in jiu-jitsu to help him better protect his body next time he sees a defensive end sprinting for him.

Tua added bulk. He gained strength. He might be faster and his head coach thinks he added some throws to his already vast repertoire. And he got all that as a by product of training to prevent concussions.

“He really took his training on his body serious this offseason for a multitude of reasons,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said of Tua Tagovailoa. “And I’ve seen various things where he has a little more short-area explosiveness, where you’re able to manipulate yourself in the pocket at a more explosive rate.”

“I don’t know this to be fact,” McDaniel continued during a pre-practice press availability. “But it appears by my layman’s eye that he has more pitches in his arsenal. He can layer stuff and drive it just with even more command. … He’s already pretty adept, considering his accuracy. I think it just overall helps him feel prepared and execute a lot of things. And the residuals are apparent and various.”

Tua Tagovailoa’s problems with concussions are well documented. He suffered at least two of them that caused him to miss five games, including the Dolphins playoff loss to the Bills. Still, he led the NFL in quarterback rating. And if healthy, imagine what Miami can do this season?

Tua Tagovailoa acknowledged you can’t control freak injuries

Tua Tagovailoa said he gained 10 pounds of muscle in the off season. (He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds.) And he also lifted a lot more heavier weights.

“Everything that I did this offseason entailed what would keep me on the field for the entirety of the season,” Tagovailoa told reporters earlier this week.

“We understand that freaky things can happen,” said the former Alabama star. “It’s football. It’s a physical sport. Not everything that you prepare for is what you’re going to get. So, I did the best that I could to get myself ready and prepped for this season as far as injuries go.”

It’s all why McDaniel stressed to Tagovailoa that it’s all about “controlling the controllable.”

Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins starter at running back, thinks Tua is running better.

“I feel like he’s been able to utilize his legs a little bit more often, ” Mostert told reporters. “And not in the running aspect, but in settling down, getting his five-step and three-step [drops] and timing right. I’ve been in this offense. And I like watching every little aspect possible. He seemed like he’s finding his way in regards to the timing and how to work his feet and his lower body and his rhythm and his hips.”