Tua struggled to see over linemen vs. Browns: 'I'm not the tallest guy'
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa blamed his height for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's lack of targets in their Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
"I think with that, some of it has to do with being able to see guys," Tagovailoa told reporters Wednesday when asked if the Browns did anything to take Waddle away.
"With their guys also up front, and our guys - I'm not the tallest guy in the back there either. So, being able to see and then sometimes when that happens, you don't want to just throw it blindly, and you gotta progress. So, I think that had some ... reasons as to why that happened for Waddle."
Waddle saw four targets against Cleveland, the fewest he's received in a game this season. The 2021 sixth overall pick caught just one pass for 15 yards.
Tagovailoa produced his worst game of the year, completing 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards with three interceptions. Miami's offense scored only six points in the contest, and the team's record fell to 1-6.
The 27-year-old is listed at 6-foot-1, the same height as starting quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Caleb Williams. On passes attempted to the center of the field, where some shorter signal-callers can struggle to see over linemen, Tagovailoa has thrown for 683 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions, according to PFF.
Out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks in 2025, the Alabama product ranks 29th in EPA/play and 31st in success rate, per Ben Baldwin's database. His contract runs through the 2028 season and includes cap hits at least $53 million each of the next three years, according to Over The Cap.
Miami will face off against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.