Tua Tagovailoa on fieldTua Tagovailoa (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa shocked the internet with his new appearance.

Tua Tagovailoa has shown off his dramatically different look as he returned to the public eye this week with his face completely shaven.

On Thursday night, Tua was at a Macy’s event greeting fans, and many were seeing him for the first time since he dropped a ton of weight and got rid of his facial hair.

The results made him look completely unrecognizable.

 

Although Tagovailoa is officially still listed by the Dolphins at his 2023 weight of 227 pounds, he clearly appeared to have lost about 15 pounds during the previous five months at Tuesday’s OTA session. Some commentators fear that Tagovailoa’s increased injury risk in 2024 stems from the weight decrease.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel addressed Tagovailoa’s weight loss earlier this week.

“He can maintain those strength gains while also being a little more limber in the pocket,” McDaniel said Tuesday, via DolphinsWire. “I think is what’s drove him to kind of attack that, which he’s done a great job of.”

Tua Tagovailoa has transformed in more ways than just his appearance during the offseason. To improve his mechanics, he enlisted former Dolphins quarterback John Beck as his personal quarterback coach.

McDaniel felt at ease with the collaboration because of his lengthy association with Beck. In 2011, McDaniel was in Washington as an offensive assistant, while Beck was a backup for the squad that would later become the Commanders.

Tua Tagovailoa Used Jiu-Jitsu To Combat Concussion Issue

Tua Tagovailoa (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
One of the NFL’s most dynamic players, Tua Tagovailoa, suffered a concussion that kept him out of action for a significant portion of the 2022 season. As a result, he took inventive measures in the offseason to try to stay healthy this past season.

In an attempt to prevent more head injuries when being sacked or tackled to the ground, the Miami Dolphins quarterback added jiu-jitsu training to his repertoire. He also learned safe fall and roll techniques.

REPORT: Kansas City Chiefs Reveal Kicker Harrison Butker Could Be Demoted Next Season

Harrison Butker kicking a footballHarrison Butker (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs have revealed they’re considering benching Harrison Butker for kickoffs next season.

Butker has been performing kickoffs for the Chiefs since his rookie season in 2017 but could see the role handed to someone else in 2024.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke to reporters on Thursday and disclosed the team is mulling over keeping Butker benched for kickoffs.

While the kicker has been catching criticism from all over due to the controversial comments he made earlier in May, his potential benching has nothing to do with it. They’re considering it so he doesn’t take hits all season.

“I like to have somebody who is able to make a tackle, Butker is able to make a tackle, but I really don’t want him making tackles all year long,” Toub explained.

The NFL is set to introduce a new kickoff rule in 2024, and Toub has noticed that kickers in the UFL have been taking hard hits as they’re more involved in tackling.