There was plenty of hype surrounding the Miami Dolphins entering the 2023 regular season, and rightfully so. They were projected to be one of the top teams in the AFC in Year 2 under Mike McDaniel, and were looking to take the next step as a franchise and make some noise in the postseason. But there was a caveat and general opinion surrounding the team, and that was that they’d only be successful if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was able to remain healthy.

Tagovailoa Started Every Game For The Dolphins In 2023

After an offseason of speculation, Tua Tagovailoa played all 17 games for the Dolphins

How he did it includes a breakfall jiu-jitsu program, a lightning-fast release, “microdosing” and a fundamental understanding of why people doubted his durabilityhttps://t.co/qSW5mYJSJu

— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 9, 2024

Tagovailoa had a long injury history even before the 2022 season began. But the list grew during that year, as three concussions in the span of three months ended his season early, and the Dolphins limped into the playoffs with their third-string QB at the helm. In order to combat the issues, Tagovailoa did some non-football specific work on avoiding serious head injuries, and it seems to have paid off this year.

Tagovailoa not only stayed upright most of the season, but he didn’t miss a single start for the Dolphins all year. The polarizing quarterback was under center for every game this year, and Miami will have their starting QB for a playoff game for the first time since 2008.

He was one of 9 NFL quarterbacks who started every game for his team this year.

Tua Led The League In Passing Yards

Tua Tagovailoa leads the passing game for the 2023 regular season! pic.twitter.com/Ua0ivWGhpd

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 9, 2024

Having one of the main cogs of their offense available throughout the year was a big key to the early-season success that the Dolphins enjoyed. Things fell apart during the tail end of the schedule, but there were other factors other than Tagovailoa’s drop-off in production that led to the team coughing up the division to the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback was still able to lead the league in passing yards, accumulating a career-high 4,624 for the year, edging out Jared Goff for the passing title.

The Dolphins are still alive despite their late-season collapse. They dropped down from the #2 to #6 seed with their Week 18 loss to the Bills, and have the reward of going on the road and taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in Wild Card Weekend. The temperatures are predicted to approach the sub-zero mark, and Miami is currently listed as a 4.5 point underdog after the line opened at 3.