Mike McDaniel – September 16, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 16, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I was going ask, is QB Tua Tagovailoa exhibiting any symptoms? How is he feeling? Does he have symptoms?) – “He was downstairs today smiling with his teammates. He’s working with the trainers and medical staff diligently and as far as I’m concerned, you’re in the protocol and I think he’s doing well today and we take it day by day. He was feeling good, but what does that mean in terms of a medical diagnosis? I don’t base my judgments on my interactions with him necessarily as much as it is hearing the end result of the medical examination and where he’s at. It was good to see him and I know his teammates were pumped to see him.”
(You implored people not to worry too much or discuss too much about his future, what’s next, to take it day by day; but there was a report yesterday by NFL Network that QB Tua Tagovailoa is focused on playing football again and coming back. Has he given you any indication? Is that what seems to be the plan for him as he moves forward?) – “I think as far as Tua’s career is concerned, I think it’s of utmost priority of mind for Tua to speak on Tua’s career. So I think reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at day to day, and I think I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that.”
(Is he going on injured reserve?) – “Not enough information quite yet. That’s going to be driven by medical experts and then when we get the appropriate information and discuss with Tua, then Chris (Grier) and I can discuss that. Not quite ready to make a distinction on that, so that could or couldn’t. We’ll see in the next coming days.”
(Unfortunately this is something that he has history with now as far as evaluation and seeing doctors and specialists and all that. Last time he sought independent specialists. Are you encouraging him to go that route again this time?) – “Absolutely. That will be part of the process, for sure.”
(What made QB Tyler Huntley the choice as a quarterback being brought in?) – “In lieu of the fact that if you’re not going to adhere to timelines based upon what the science tells us and how we want to approach individual situations and player injuries; with that unknown, that was something that – ever since he’s – it’s been apparent from afar and then having some coaches that have been around him, shoot, he was replacing the league MVP and you could tell from far away that he was a guy that the team absolutely believed could lead them to victory. I think that’s a very huge tangible thing for a non-QB1 necessarily, and so for us without knowing exact timelines, we got to learn firsthand a nice reminder of how it only takes one play and what you think your depth is changes abruptly. So that’s a move for moving forward to secure some depth in case of the unforeseen which is timelines for us as it relates to Tua.”
(To kind of drill down on QB Tyler Huntley and why he’s here, is he being brought in to serve as the No. 2 behind QB Skylar Thompson or the No. 3 behind QB Tim Boyle or compete with Skylar eventually?) – “This was not a move to in any way, shape or form out of anything not that has to do with Skylar (Thompson). Our team going all the way back to his first rep in rookie minicamp as a rookie to down the stretch of the 2022 season to what he was able to do to win the No. 2 job, this is not in any direct reflection to Skylar as Tua’s backup. This is more for the depth. I do think that it helps the dynamics of the room to give another guy with starting history to this team and gives another added addition of a guy that’s a signal-caller that a team can get behind. I was happy adding – what we were able to do in the quarterback room – in adding (Tim) Boyle, but I think this is more directly to back up Skylar and then you always let competition play out when it’s out on the field, but this was a depth move, for sure.”
(This decision, obviously QB Skylar Thompson did well in training camp, has done well in the exhibition season throughout the years and he does have the most familiarity with your offense. But what makes you so convicted that he can lead this team to victories?) – “And I totally understand that question and this is deep-seated. This is observation from the second that he got on site. I think you learn so much about people when they’re put into new situations and from his first rep in rookie minicamp, his first day on site to his first rep against I think it was the New York Jets or his first start against the Minnesota Vikings or his next start which was win-or-go-home situation – the final game of the regular season – or his start in the Buffalo game in the playoffs on the road where all these situations, you are grading the player and how he is executing what he is seeing live-speed. And time and time again, he’s done things that are very, very difficult your first time around. And then I know last season we didn’t really get the opportunity to see him play. It was a neck-and-neck competition in training camp and last year I thought Mike (White) did a great job giving us what the team needed and with an extra year under his belt, I thought in a tight race that he (Skylar Thompson) really separated himself. So I think his game has developed since he’s had a starting opportunity in the National Football League. I think all his teammates can feel his command and his growth, and I think he put together some winning football as a rookie. Rookies have a hard enough time digesting anything, let alone being a quarterback in this offense, so there’s a lot of reasons that his teammates have to fully believe in him and his ability which is why he was the No. 2 named from the end of preseason.”
(I guess the idea was this offense needs a certain kind of quarterback to operate it. You’ve said that QB Tua Tagovailoa is the ideal quarterback for this system. QB Tyler Huntley, he and Tua have different games. Is it a signal that you’re willing with QB Skylar Thompson, with Tyler if he ever plays to broaden the playbook? To go a different route? Maybe do some concepts that haven’t been really the bread and butter of what we’ve seen?) – “Absolutely and I think there’s also the history of our offense does not start Year 1 with the Dolphins. I think with the different assets that we have and this complexion of the offense, for sure, there’s a reason why I feel that with the utmost conviction with Tua, but going all the way back to some of the concepts and some of the beliefs that we’ve kind of developed, it wasn’t too long ago where we were adapting within the offense, we were adapting in Washington to uncharted zone read territory. So that was something that we learned that we’ve kept in place in various situations. We’ve actually run a couple concepts here before when Skylar (Thompson) and Teddy (Bridgewater) were playing in ’22. And then that’s something that we carried all the way through 2021 in San Fran when we had Trey Lance on board as well. So there’s ways within the offense to adapt to your skill position players and I think you’re never – I know from a defensive perspective what that adds to how you have to defend so there is an advantage to, quite frankly, a different angle or a different competitive advantage when your quarterback has a lot of success with his feet. So I think that is something that from our offensive standpoint is not as outside-the-box as one may think. Tua’s No. 1 RPO that he runs all the time is an extension of a zone read principle that he just throws instead of running the ball. So there’s good caveats to it and a lot of different ways to skin a cat.”
(The last week dating back to even a week ago, it’s been pretty emotional for this team and obviously the latest with QB Tua Tagovailoa. How much of the focus as you begin a new week and prep for the next game is it a focus to kind of re-center things? That things aren’t getting away from you after all the kind of emotion of the last week or so?) – “Absolutely. That’s a huge thing as we grow as a team. Listen, you call a spade a spade – as a team you have to address the fact that why did we feel the way we felt, why were we so caught off guard and why was the ultimate result something that we’ve been working diligently at preventing for a long time? And the biggest thing is when you are going above and beyond and then absolutely get the opposite results desired, you make sure that the team is individually focused on the growth of their game and not looking over their shoulder being like, ‘OK, well shoot…’ I was really enthused by today just in general because you want starting from – let’s take as an example Anthony Weaver as the defensive coordinator and the trickle-down effect of how the defensive coordinator looks at the result. Well, it could be very easy for a lot of people to be like, ‘There was three turnovers and two turnovers on down or whatever and 24 points came off those.’ That is the easiest thing. The hard thing is to say, ‘Whatever, let’s tune up our game, I don’t care about what other phases are doing, I don’t care about what other positions are doing. How do I relate to our ultimate job? As ‘Weave’ (Anthony Weaver) said, our job is to get the ball back. I think teams are 18-3 in 2024 when the turnover differential is in the plus. But that doesn’t help anyone get better if you just focus on ‘Hey, I’m good.’ So to me, worrying about our standard and focusing on winning the next game is absolutely the most important thing that this team can learn, especially after you – nobody on the team saw the end result coming, but now I feel like our team understands why it did and then what our objectives are to clean up our game as fast as possible to render results that we’re more satisfied with, plain and simple.”
(Do you expect to have T Terron Armstead available on Sunday?) – “Yeah, I think he’s day to day. So what that looks like – I feel it’s definitely more of a day-to-day situation, so I’m optimistic.”
(RB De’Von Achane right now through two games has 46 touches, the next five players have combined for 44. Was this always the plan for him to be such a heavy vocal point of this offense? Or is there a plan to diversify a little bit?) – “Well, I think there’s compounding variables. I wouldn’t say – I knew he was going to have an uptick in involvement. I think with Raheem (Mostert), his situation, that’s kind of added to it, the defenses structures and what they’ve committed themselves to has given him more opportunities. I think specifically it’s hard not to give guys opportunities that really are thirsting for the ball that are doing something with it – so it’s to his credit. You want to talk about a guy that literally did everything imaginable to have that Thursday night opportunity in terms of his time in the training room and making sure he was a full-go. All he’s done has given more reasons to get him the ball. I wouldn’t say that – it was probably quite the opposite going into the season. I wasn’t thinking – we really have a situation where there’s a lot of people to give the ball, more so than I’ve ever been used to here, so to say that I was forecasting such a heavy dose, that wouldn’t be honest. But at the same time, he’s definitely earned all of the opportunities and he could make a case for even more. So I think I wouldn’t expect – there’s so many playmakers that we had to diversify. I think his production with the ball right now is definitely a positive for us, because to get the ball away from him, you got to do some good stuff with it. So I think it puts pressure on all eligibles and what you do with the ball, because he’s made it very clear that on the routine, he’s probably making the first guy miss.”
(Upon review of the film, why was it so hard to get WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle the ball consistently against the Bills?) – “Well, I think there’s – football is definitely a team sport. Offensive football, when a team is committing – when a defensive team or an opponent is committing to take somebody away, you have to make them pay appropriately. I think the ops are still there, they just might not be as multiple when you’re having a two-man player, you have two people guarding one on run downs. So I think those, what’s cool about ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle and their understanding of football and really our offense is there’s certain situations where, it doesn’t happen that often, but they’ll come to the sidelines and tell me, ‘Hey, you know what? We need to run the ball.’ What they’re saying is they know there’s not a run fit player. They know that the safety and the corner aren’t even looking at the ball during our play action, so you have to execute and make people pay when they’re overplaying something. I think that teams have a lot of reason to focus on those guys and I think collectively it’s a group effort to get them more involved because they’re the – case in point, the rest of the offense is in an advantageous situation if they’re going to fully commit the way that some teams have been, that you always have to keep them involved, but there’s a balance where teammates have to really make opposing teams pay if they’re going to overcommit that way. And until we do, I think they understand as much as everybody else that teams will do something until you make them pay for it.”
Jordyn Brooks – September 16, 2024
Monday, September 16, 2024
LB Jordyn Brooks
(Can you tell us the mood of the team right now considering QB Tua Tagovailoa’s situation? Is everybody confident? Is everybody low key? How would you describe it?) – “I think everybody is good. I didn’t see anything crazy. Obviously, the energy won’t be as high as it usually is coming off a loss, but I think it’s good energy just moving on and getting ready for this week.”
(What’s the hardest part of moving on when you played well that second half particularly defensively against Jacksonville and then the struggles that last game to not be able to win that game? What is the key to bounce back and refocus?) – “Just knowing that it’s a long season. You have 17 games, so you don’t have all day to keep harping on what happened. Learn from it and then move on, because we’ve got another team this week. That’s the motivation is that we’ve got another game, so we’ve got to get ready for that.”
(When a team loses its quarterback – we don’t know how long he’ll be out obviously, but he’s going to miss some time. Does it feel like everybody else has to up their game a little bit, defense has to play better, running game has to play better all of that?) – “I think we always have to play better whether the quarterback is playing or not. That’s everybody’s individual goal to be the best that you can be so that we can be better together. It’s unfortunate what happened with our quarterback, but had that not happened, the goal will still be the same as far as us getting better and getting to the place that we know we can be.”
(Is this going to be emotional for you on Sunday going back? And heading into March, had you thought you might re-sign with the Seahawks?) – “Yeah, I spent my first four years there. It was a good thing for me, but it’ll be good to go back and get to play against those guys. I think it will be a great opportunity for me.”
(Who are you still close with over there that you are looking forward to seeing?) – “A lot of the guys on defense that I played with, a lot of the younger guys. It will be good to see them and then compete against them.”
(How important is veteran leadership when it comes to bouncing back after a loss on Thursday?) – “It’s important. It’s important, but I think it’s more so important that guys be the example rather than always having to huddle everybody up and (say), ‘Hey, this is what we need to do.’ Just show them, and that’s by moving on, attacking each day like a professional, going to practice and doing everything with intent and making sure that we improve this week.”
(How do you describe the atmosphere in that stadium from both what it gives the Seahawks and what it might present as a challenge to visiting teams?) – “It can get loud in there if we allow it. The fans out there, they’re crazy about the team, so whenever the Seahawks are making plays or whatever, they get really loud. But I think we can control that if we play our game.”
(What stood out about QB Geno Smith as a quarterback to you when you were there?) – “Just his preparation. He was there my first two years. When he was sitting behind ‘Rus,’ (Russell Wilson) he prepared the same way as if he was going to play. When he got his opportunity, it wasn’t a shock. So I’ve always respected him for that, just how he approached the game.”
(Hypothetically speaking, if QB Skylar Thompson has to make a road start this week at Seattle, as somebody who has played in that stadium famously loud, what is a piece of advice you would tell him to, I guess, keep his head on straight throughout that entire game?) – “Just know that we’re on the field with him. He’s not out there by himself – literally, there’s 10 other guys out there with him. Just know that; trust in the preparation that we go through this week and just play your game. You don’t have to do nothing special.”
(Is it as loud as everybody says? I’ve never covered a game there. How loud does it get?) – “Like I said, it gets as loud as the team can make it. So if we’re stopping them, it won’t be that loud. If we don’t, it will be pretty loud. I think the way the stadium is designed to keep the sound in or whatever, so that helps too.”
Zach Sieler – September 16, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 16, 2024
DT Zach Sieler
(As a player who’s been with QB Tua Tagovailoa now for so many years, what were your immediate thoughts when you saw what transpired on Thursday?) – “I mean it doesn’t matter if it’s Tua or anybody, but what happened is horrible. You hate seeing that stuff. You immediately pray and wish the best for him and his family. I hope he’s doing good. He seems happy; I’m not going to speculate anything. I’m really excited to see where we go forward with this.”
(Emotionally there’s a lot going on concerning QB Tua Tagovailoa, but then you also lost a football game, you’ve got a tough game to go west. How do you kind of balance all of those emotions as you’ve got to prep right away for a new game?) – “Honestly, I think that’s the good thing about the NFL, where you’re on to the next thing. So it’s like you make the corrections quick and you move onto the next game. It gives you an opportunity to move on from what just happened, not that you want to forget it because you need to learn from it and you know it’s a copycat league and you can get a lot of those same plays over again next week and the following weeks after. But I think that’s kind of the bird of the beast where we’re able to move on and prove yourself the next week, ‘Hey, look – last week wasn’t good enough. This week is,’ and we can make those corrections and make it right.”
(Question about the run defense and where you think it is; both opponents rushed for over 100, but Buffalo with 108 with a 49-yard-run. Is the run defense in a good place? Did you guys make corrections and one got away from you last week? How do you view it?) – “I mean it’s still a run, they still went (49) yards. We can’t let that happen. Yeah, they went for 108 – you can do the math, take out the (49), whatever. It doesn’t matter, that was one of the runs and that was a big one. You can’t let that happen up front. That’s a direct impact of how we’re playing, and it’s let’s make the adjustments, let’s figure this out and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
(What role does veteran leadership play in after a loss like that?) – “Yeah, it’s huge. I think it’s – (Head Coach Mike) McDaniel preaches, it’s a player’s team. It’s the players’ locker room and when you have the veteran leadership there, some guys have been through situations like this, and some have been through worse. And you lean on that leadership and that experience to either guide young guys or steer the team in the right direction where you can make the corrections and not take it on the chin and not be soft if someone’s trying to make you corrections or call you out for something you didn’t do good enough, but ‘Hey, no. I need to make that better. I need to play better. We need to play better,’ whatever that is. When you have leadership and veterans like that, I think you can really kind of grow and build to something great.”
(You’ve been one of those young players who stepped up when opportunity presented itself; what advice do you give QB Skylar Thompson?) – “Man, I think Skylar (Thompson) has already done it. man. What was it? Three years ago in Buffalo, two years ago in Buffalo? I have no doubts in my mind that Skylar is going to go out there and do the best he can in Seattle. I’m super excited to see him play and work on this opportunity. Obviously, again we’re praying for and sad about Tua, but I have no hesitation with Skylar going out there as QB1 this week.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 16, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 16, 2024
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Describe the tone of the team to us. I mean we’ve seen you guys upbeat through a five-game losing streak, through QB Tua Tagovailoa being out before – what is the tone of the team right now?) – “Yeah, man, it’s pretty mellow coming in, had three days off. So coming in and getting back to work, and just ready to get it going.”
(Is there kind of a feeling of loss or sadness hanging over the team at all?) – “No, not really. We’ve got confidence in all of our players here. We go out and compete with everybody that we go against so yeah man, regular day back at work.”
(With QB Skylar Thompson, you’ve been here with him his whole duration. What kind of player are we getting? What kind of player are we getting? What kind of player are we going to see?) – “I mean y’all have seen Skylar (Thompson) play before. He’s real confident. We’re confident in his ability. He plays with a lot of swag out there, so it’s going to be fun. I’m excited.”
(How much responsibility do you put on your shoulders to make sure you’re doing everything you guys are to help QB Skylar Thompson in these next few days?) – “Oh yeah, it’s going to be key. Everybody has got to step up from the run game to protections, especially the receivers, just to make his job a little easier. It’s going to be kind of flying bullets, but Skylar’s got a lot of ball, man. I think he’s going into his third year; he played in the playoffs and got some games underneath his belt, so I think he’s prepared for the moment.”
(He’s got that improvisation ability to scramble out of the pocket; how does that change things for you as a wide receiver?) – “Yeah, it’s something that the defense has got to be accountable for. He’s an athletic guy, a mobile guy that can move around and extend plays with his legs. So when you got a guy like that, the defense can’t just sit back and play all of these exotic coverages.”
(How much work did you get with QB Skylar Thompson during OTAs and minicamp and training camp?) – “We got a lot of bank reps throughout the training camp. You get in, ones, twos – he got reps with me, ‘Reek,’ (Tyreek Hill), ones, and through contract negotiations with Tua, he stepped in and filled that void.”
(You’ve been friends with QB Tua Tagovailoa for a long time – just your reaction to what he’s going through right now?) – “Yeah, man. That’s always sad when you see your guy go down like that. But we play a dangerous game, man. And I think that the whole world gets to see how dangerous this game is and how everybody puts their body on the line week-in and week-out.”
(How’s he doing from what you’ve seen?) – “He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits. (He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”
De’Von Achane – September 16, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 16, 2024
RB De’Von Achane
(How do you view the role of the offense with QB Tua Tagovailoa out? Do you think QB Skylar Thompson has to come in here and do what Tua did? Does everybody else have to pick up and do a little more? How do you view this?) – “I think Skylar (Thompson) can come in and play like Skylar. I don’t think he’s got to be nobody else. Like you said, this is not his first rodeo, he’s been here three years, he’s played in big games before so he can come in and be himself and we’ll just keep doing the same thing if Tua (Tagovailoa) was in the offense. I don’t think we got to come in and ease him into it because like you said he’s been here and he’s ready.”
(For being a gametime decision, you had a lot of work on that ankle; how’d you come away from it?) – “I felt pretty good. Like you said, when you play those type of games, it’s exciting to me, playing division games. So in my mind, I had it to where, ‘I’m going to play regardless,’ it’s just a little ankle. But like you said, Raheem (Mostert) was down so I felt like it was up to me to step up because to have two of us out, I feel like that’s a big loss for the team, so me coming in and having a gametime decision, I had it in my head that I’m playing.”
(I remember watching during pregame and you barely moved during pregame; was that just resting?) – “I feel like that’s just something I do. I don’t like going out there and getting extra sweaty, because we already got to come out and do a pregame with the team. So I just feel like it’s just me, I go out there and just feeling the grass, just out there just seeing certain type of stuff I could be doing and not trying to be too hard on it. I’d rather me start off like not going out there and hurting it even more.”
(When you are nursing an injury, once you get the adrenaline going, do you almost just not feel it anymore?) – “Yeah, once the game is going, you couldn’t even tell that it’s still there. You only notice it after the game when you’re a little sore – that’s when you notice everything. During the game it’s regular, you feel like you’re 100 percent.”
(How sore were you after 29 touches?) – “I actually didn’t feel that bad. I feel like I was more mad that we lost, so I wasn’t that tired and sore because I was kind of mad that we lost the game. But I wasn’t that bad; it didn’t feel that bad.”
(The identity of this team since Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s been here, and obviously you’ve been in the league, is this has been a passing offense. Do you think that more and more now this is going to evolve to be a running offense?) – “It can be both. Like you said, we got two great receivers – we got a lot of great receivers, we got a lot of great running backs. So I feel like we can do both. We can run the ball, pass the ball – whatever he’s calling, I feel like we can go out there and execute it.”
(You’ve taken a bigger role in the offense last week and this season. Is that by design or is that just taking what the defense gives you that particular game?) – “It’s just taking what the defense is giving us. Like you said, we’re playing the scheme of these defenses, and against the Bills, we knew they play a lot of drop coverages and me – they had it on that there’s going to be a lot of check down routes that’s going to be open. So it’s not like we’re coming to the game plan like, ‘OK, he’s going to get this many touches.’ It’s just something that just happens.”
(Did you watch the Seahawks game yesterday or do you wait until film this week?) – “I didn’t watch the Seahawks game. I feel like, actually they’re a new team – well new to us. I waited until this week to watch them. I didn’t watch their game yesterday, because I was too busy watching other games. But I don’t think too much about it, I feel like now is the time when we come back Wednesday, we hone in on the Seahawks and see what they do.”
(How are you feeling physically today?) – “I’m good, man. It was great to coming in, seeing all the guys. We had a long weekend, so we got to put the Week 2 game behind us and we’re on to the next.”
(What was the feeling, like you said, a long weekend – it was like chaos the first two weeks, the Sunday, Thursday game and now three days off. Does it almost feel like you’re starting again? Do you feel pretty fresh?) – “Yeah, I’m most definitely pretty fresh, like you said. We had a short week, but Mike (McDaniel) and the team, he makes sure we kept our bodies right so that three-day weekend definitely did it, so we should most definitely be fresh coming in this week.”
Mike McDaniel – September 13, 2024
Download PDF version
Friday, September 13, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I imagine you’re still waiting for more with regard to QB Tua Tagovailoa’s health, but I also imagine you and General Manager Chris Grier probably had the discussion about moving forward. Are you and Chris giving any consideration right now to going out and acquiring a veteran starting-caliber quarterback to compete with QB Skylar Thompson or do you expect Skylar to be your guy in the next few weeks as Tua heals and QB Tim Boyle as his backup?) – “That started late last night and I think the way to best articulate where we’re at is the team and the organization are very confident in Skylar (Thompson) and see there was a reason he was our backup quarterback. That being said, we will bring in someone. We’re just evaluating the pros and cons for the different situations and getting through all those possibilities to do the best thing for the team, but as it stands today, I’m expecting that Skylar is the next man up.”
(You didn’t have obviously a ton of information at the time and again, I’m sure there’s a ton of imaging you go through now. Was it in the moment, did it seem as bad as maybe some of his past concussions or is there reason for optimism that this might not be as bad as some of the ones in the past?) – “Realistically for me, first and foremost, I’m not assessing the injury through the lens of all right, so what does this mean for him playing? And so just what I know to be of the utmost importance and what I really care about, it didn’t really matter the severity of it. I think this is something that it’s super important to – the whole, all the science behind concussions tells you what we’ve learned is how delicate the time is right after an injury and how important it is that you don’t institute extra sources of anxiety. So from my vantage point, I feel it’s supremely important in understanding that, that I’m not giving off any sort of vibes, I’m not trying to even look at, ‘OK well, how serious is this relative to his past ones?’ Really, really for me, I know the facts are that it’s important that he gets healthy day by day and in that, the actual, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint. And knowing that and with my relationship with players – specifically with Tua, but with all the players – it’s not in my DNA to think, ‘Hey, what does this mean for…’ What it means is that to properly prioritize what’s most important that I have to put his health as the primary. And so it’s been 10 hours since I last talked to you guys. For me, I absolutely positively will not do anything to make anything worse or hurt anyone of our players, specifically guys that are in concussion protocol. Ironically, I think there’s a lot of people that have vested interest in the Miami Dolphins. There’s a lot of fans and there’s a lot of people that want to support, but quite literally, questioning timelines; that gives forth anxiety. Trying to meet them, trying to assess what this means for playing. This is heavy stuff that you have to be diligent and deliberate and coaching up Tua, ‘Hey, your job is to be a dad and to communicate daily’ – and we’ll have daily assessments with experts in the field and handle that. And that is the only thing that matters because you don’t make matters worse by trying to – he would be able to feel if I was trying to vibe out and diminishing what this was based upon some symptoms. So literally I understand it completely and it’s not like I would’ve thought any other way until I was in a position of finding out information of what’s best for players in this situation, but talking about or having any sort of assumptions or planning – like I have no idea and nor should I, and I don’t want to because I want him to be healthy. And the best way to be as healthy as fast as possible is to not focus on anything but being present; for him with Ace and Maizy and Annah and that’s it.”
(And I’m sorry, I know there’s a long line of people waiting to ask questions, but I wasn’t asking from a football standpoint. There were a ton of players that had a real and outpouring of concern for him and so I was just wondering from a human aspect if you guys are super concerned about where he is right now?) – “Thank you for qualifying that. My energy is coming from my supreme care and concern for him and quite honestly it’s probably misguided that I wasn’t projecting that energy out on you, but I totally hear what you’re saying and it’s because you hear the outpouring that you want to say as loud as you possibly can that it is absolutely imperative that he is assessing nothing to football right now and in terms of – I guess there was no discussion of him not walking off the field and he was highly communicative in the locker room with the trainers and the doctors so I think relative to some other times you could black-and-white assess that. There’s just so much – the people that matter the most and their opinions are Tua and the doctors, the experts. And both of those people have – I called him about an hour ago, he was still asleep so I haven’t talked to him yet, and they should be meeting here shortly for the first after-action time spent with experts. But I get it and I appreciate that and I wasn’t triggered at you. It’s obviously something that there’s a lot of emotional tie to.”
(Where are your thoughts first and foremost with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s health and these bigger-picture conversations are in the future if they occur at all, but knowing Tua for both the family man that he is, but also the competitor he is and also knowing his family dynamic and those conversations that are sure to take place, how realistic do you envision retirement consideration being for him?) – “I think it would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject and it’s more in line of actually caring about the human being and that’s something that entirely you’re talking about his career, right? His career is his, and that’s something that I really, really, really wish – I totally understand it and it’s not misplaced. I totally get how that’s where people want to go to. I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him, so I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care, that that should be the last thing on your mind because – what do you think if I were to answer that question, I’d be like, ‘All right, this is my thoughts on his career’ and he read it. If he agreed with it or he disagreed with it, either way I’ve just made him worse. So I’m not taking this opportunity. I don’t think it’s appropriate simply because of my care and regard, and I don’t think those types of conversations when you’re talking about somebody’s career – it probably is only fair that their career should be decided by them.”
(And if I could follow up, guardian caps are now allowed to be worn in games. Will you urge QB Tua Tagovailoa to wear a guardian cap when he returns?) – “I think specifically, if – I think just in general, the second people are telling me directly how much this, that or the other would specifically benefit a particular individual; when that particular conversation comes up, I’ll absolutely do whatever I can to follow up with things specific to individuals that could help them moving forward. I think those types of things are far away from me from my standpoint, but that hasn’t necessarily come up. This being the first year that they’re able to wear them, but I’m open-minded to absolutely everything to help players.”
(I wanted to ask you, I know we’re basically addressing QB Tua Tagovailoa and his health, but I wanted to check on T Terron Armstead. What’s his status? How serious was the injury? Could he have gone back in the game and also, I’m curious, why not T Patrick Paul in that situation?) – “I think there was a classic (Terron) Armstead moment where I think he was battling and to the point that he could’ve – if we would have allowed his competitive nature to kind of overtake the process, I could see where he would go back in the game in a situation if he was fighting for it; however, he knew something was wrong. I think so far with the information, I’m optimistic that it will be something where he’ll be playing here sooner than later, but realistically I don’t totally know besides the fact that it doesn’t look like it’s the worst-case scenario where you’re worried about the season and stuff. It’s not in that realm, so we’ll get more information here today, and with regard to Patrick Paul, I think he’s definitely capable. I think you have to take into account and in certain situations or if it was a different opponent in a different situation, I think I would’ve been more open-minded to that. In that situation, I think when you are coming off the bench as a rookie for the first time in a division game where there’s a lot of frustration based upon how we were coming into the game as a team with our expectations and then what was happening; I get fearful if I can help it from setting people up in positions of failure. And what do I mean by that, is I think teammates feel – inevitably in football you have good plays and bad plays, but in games like that if it’s your first taste, I try to avoid guys getting their first burn in the regular season in a situation like that. So that was the decision behind that. It was definitely considered, but I just thought it was best to go the direction we did with the experience and the productivity that Kendall (Lamm) was giving and whatnot.”
(You’ve touched on a lot of this, but you’ve never hidden that you and QB Tua Tagovailoa have a very unique, special, close relationship. Again, you’ve addressed part of it, but I’m just curious from within that realm, that space that you and Tua share, how difficult is it for you to do Dolphins football coaching stuff today when I’m sure that so much of your mind is just concern for him?) – “I would say it’s fair to say that that’s very difficult, however I also take my responsibility extremely, extremely serious. I regard it; I think about all the people that are counting on me to do hard things. It’s not lost on me. Really, none of it’s lost on me and the motivation to press through difficult times when – shoot. I hate disappointing our local sports writers and seeing people dejected after the game. I hate fans that spend all this money to go these games and have all the expectations, that’s – your guys’ experience, fans’ experience, players, it doesn’t end. That’s not lost on me, so when I tell you that absolutely it’s very, very tough. At the same time, there’s not a moment that goes by that I don’t take with absolute severity and sincerity how many people are counting on me to – in this job, honestly, a lot of people can do this job when things are going awesome. There’s a lot of people. I think it’s important that when you sign up for it, that you recognize that as a leader, it actually only matters when times are tough. That’s when you need to – I think that it’s moments like these that you really have to tap into that to handle it appropriately and in ways that in hindsight I won’t regret.”
(A couple of, I guess, you would call housekeeping questions. You had mentioned at the start that your considering bringing in another quarterback. That leads me to wonder, have you already decided or how close are you to deciding whether to put QB Tua Tagovailoa on IR?) – “Again, that’s a fair question and I totally understand it – I literally will not know any sort of anything either way. Because again that would be – just knowing that, that’s how we’re operating as though we know nothing because we don’t. Again, the driving force behind any sort of move – let’s say playing any time, let’s say IR, let’s say whatever those things are – the absolute most important opinion, the most important person in this whole equation is Tua. His opinion and what he wants to do with his life and his career coupled with the experts in neuroscience, those are the driving forces behind those actions. I’m not hiding anything; I’m being as transparent as I absolutely could. I have zero idea what any sort of timeline is, and I’m actually extremely motivated to be in the gray because I’m extremely motivated to do right by the person that we’re talking about. That’s not an ideal way to do business necessarily, but this is more than business. So we’re operating as though – we just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation, and that’s all I want to do or we should do just because I’m not going to rush to judgement way prematurely. I’ll even throw this out; the only two people, the only two opinions that really matter that are the absolute driving force for what we’re doing at that position, Tua and the doctors. I don’t know, I don’t have any information from them. Me myself? If I’m a betting man, I’m guessing that those two people – I don’t see how he would play in the next game. I don’t see it, but who am I to know or judge? But I think it’s a fair assessment to be prepared to have three quarterbacks on our roster for the next game that we’ll need to add one for that game, but again, I have no idea and I am not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that aren’t in – I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of those. This is – literally all I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend, and then we’ll move from there. So there won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard and how long he’ll, when he’ll – none of that will happen without doctor’s expertise and the actual player. And again guys, I totally appreciate it. It’s not lost on me – I’m not trying to villainize. It’s more of like I’ve just learned this stuff, so I’m not trying to hold any cards or anything. But it is very important that there aren’t added anxiety pushed onto him right now, he just needs to be.”
(I can imagine the answer to this question, but what have the last 10 hours been like for you? Were you able to get home at a somewhat reasonable hour considering the time the game ended? Have you been able to sleep? Can you walk us through what the last 10 hours have been like for you?) – “That’s an interesting question, I hadn’t thought about me really. It hasn’t been – there’s just been a lot of thought. You get home at like, after I get to enjoy your guys’ company in a press conference, I think it was like 1:30 (a.m.) or something, and there’s just a lot of people’s journeys to bear. There’s a lot of – especially when I look back to pregame and seeing my daughter on the field and her wishing me good luck and whatnot, there’s a lot of people that didn’t see it coming. And then at the same time, this is something that is – there’s just a lot to digest fully knowing that there’s NFL opportunities a plenty and who needs what. Mind hasn’t really stopped; got a little sleep and hopefully tonight bedtime for my daughter, trying to get her to go to sleep, hopefully that will get me to get some much-needed sleep. But stuff like this, losses are tough; ones that you’ve really built yourself up to try to get done, when you lose in a surprising manner, that’s really tough; when you don’t give yourself a chance because of a turnover differential, that’s really tough and then you have your heart completely involved with it – I look at Tua as a family member of mine. When family is going through something, you know how it is. You’re trying to think about a ton of different stuff that people are counting on me to think about. Not easy.”
(I know you last night on the field were able to have a moment which we all saw and resonated with us that you were able to give him a kiss as he walked off the field. When you were on the field last night with QB Tua Tagovailoa last night as he was coming off, you were able to kiss him as he walked off. What did you tell Tua?) – “I told him he’s the starting quarterback of his family and to go in the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon.”
Calais Campbell – September 12, 2024 (Postgame)
Download PDF version
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Postgame – Buffalo
Dolphins DT Calais Campbell
(Not only do you lose to them, but you also lose QB Tua Tagovailoa, you lose by that kind of margin. Just sum it all up. How tough is this loss? A loss is a loss, but it sucks when you factor in everything.) – “Yeah, they played better than us today. Thursday Night Football, primetime, we obviously wanted to play better, but we didn’t get it done. But we’re not going to overreact. It’s just one football game. The only thing this really says is that we’re not going to be undefeated this season, but I know who we have in this locker room. We’re going to bounce back. We’re going to be a good football team. It felt like it was very similar to last week’s game. We were kind of spotting them points and making simple mistakes that were very fixable. The second half, I feel like we had a lot of fight in there. We just kept playing football. It wasn’t good enough to win but the way I see just how hungry our guys are and the way we keep playing football – I like this team and we will be just fine.”
(How difficult was it to see QB Tua Tagovailoa go down the way he did when he has a history of concussions? I’m sure that’s got to be tough to see. As a veteran, have you seen this many times before?) – “Yeah, you never like seeing them go down. Tua’s such a great guy and given his history, it makes it a little tougher. He’s tough. He’s resilient. It’s the worst part of the game. I’m hoping he’s ok. I’m definitely going to reach out to him and pray for him and go out there and continue to fight for him. I don’t know what the situation is or how things are going to go from here, but just be a good teammate, be there for him and support him until he gets back.”
(Although it’s a violent sport just how scary is it to still see it? I’m sure you’ve seen it many times before, but still every time, it’s still a scary situation for you, the media, everybody.) – “Yeah, but anytime you get up and walk off the field on your own power, that’s a good start. That makes you feel good about it. It’s always scary and definitely not anything you ever want to see, but I definitely feel good about the way he got up and walked off the field his own power. He’s a tough guy, a very tough guy.”
David Long Jr. – September 12, 2024 (Postgame)
Download PDF version
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024
Postgame – Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins LB David Long Jr.
(When you look at it – losing to a division opponent, that’s had your number now, losing by that kind of margin and then losing your quarterback. Just sum it all up, how tough is this loss? Every loss sucks but this one has to sting just a little bit more with all the factors.) – “It’s tough but it’s also early. Let’s not jump to the end chapter of the book. This is football, get back and see how Tua [Tagovailoa] is doing and go from there. But the standard and the mentality, it shouldn’t change. That’s the (expletive) that stays. That’s the foundation we are built on so that stays put, but anywhere we go starts from the foundation. So I think we built that, I think we know how to come back from bad losses. We will do it again.”
(As an athlete how tough is that when you see one of your fellow warriors…) – “It’s very tough cause it’s a very violent game we play and any play can be your last. We’ve seen it before. But we know what we got in this game for. We know the highs and the lows that come out of it. And if you are playing scared or plan for that, like trying to avoid that, then it messes up your game. You have to go out there and be fearless and you take whatever comes with it.”
