Read the full transcript from Tua Tagovailoa's press conference on October 8, 2025.
Q: I've got a question about expectations versus bottom line results. The expectations for you are pretty big because of this team and how it's constructed, but we understand you've had injuries, the offensive line has had injuries, WR Tyreek Hill is out now, but still the bottom-line results are people expect you to be as good as some of the other AFC quarterbacks – Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson. When you look at your career, how do you keep that balance? How do you keep that perspective?
"I think the only perspective you have is what you can do to help your team win every week. I can't go and look at what these other quarterbacks are doing and focus on what I need to do for that week to get the job done in order to help our team win. I wouldn't say it's a necessity of me needing to watch these other quarterbacks and see where do I stand, did I have a better game, did I have a worse game. The way teams prepare for those quarterbacks versus how we're preparing for a certain defense is all going to be different. I wouldn't say I categorize myself as if I played well, I want to see how I stacked up against this person or not. That's not how I go about it. I've got to do my job and my job is to play well enough to help my team win games."
Q: As a veteran quarterback, captain, what are your words to a guy like OL Jonah Savaiinaea when he might have his struggles throughout the season, especially this early into his rookie year?
"Well, you've just got to continue to have conversations with him. Talk to him about what helps him get better in certain things within the protection, within run game, what does he feel comfortable with, what can we help him with, if it's a drive starter call or whatnot to get his hands on guys to get a better feel for it. It's sort of conversations like that, trying to help him out and what not, but then it's also not overanalyzing what he has to do, but also making sure that if that's what works for him, does that also work for the rest of the guys. If not, then we've got to kind of come up with a gameplan with that in getting all of our guys in a groove together."
Q: In the last two games, you've had some convicted confident throws. To what extent do you feel like footwork and mechanics are the biggest key in that, and to what extent do you think mindset and approach plays a role in that?
"I think both can be true. The mindset, the footwork, the conviction, and then it's also conviction and then feel for it as well. I think there's a lot that goes into it when it comes to wanting to push the ball down the field, or wanting to get guys the ball in certain areas of the field."
Q: You and QB Justin Herbert are always going to be compared for obvious reasons. What do you think about how his career has stacked up and his ability?
"I think he's done a great job. He's done a phenomenal job within his career this far. I hope he has a long career. I know everyone wants to do the comparisons with all the dudes that were in my draft class, but all you can do is be happy for the guys, where they're at in their life of football and wish the best for them. That's all I would want to do and hope the same in return."
Q: One of the things that Head Coach Mike McDaniel praised you for earlier today was your ability to tune out the noise, both positive and negative. Obviously that's easier said than done. How have you been able to do that and has it grown a little bit more difficult this year with the losses?
"I would say it hasn't been as difficult this year just because as I've said in prior interviews I'm not on social media, I don't have any of that. And then outside of that, I go home and see my kids. Whether I throw five picks or five touchdowns, we win the game, we lose the game, I get to come home to my kids who are happy to see me every time."
Q: On the third down in the last game where you slid a couple yards short of the sticks, how hard was that for you to not go for it?
"That was tough and as I've said in previous interviews, that all happens thinking-wise in milliseconds, I feel like. You can see as I'm stepping up and looking to run, I'm looking at where the sticks are and then trying to find where the line is, can feel this guy coming down to make the tackle and then it's within a split second there – should I, should I not – and I just slid."
Q: Now it's probably more where if it's game on the line type of situation where you'd go for it?
"Yeah, no doubt where we need it in order for us to go down and maybe potentially stay on the field, yeah, for sure."
Q: I'm curious about the brotherhood of that draft class a little bit. Obviously you're close to Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, but can you characterize the communication you've had with the other quarterbacks over the years? Do you guys reach out to each other?
"I would say I haven't really had too much communication with a lot of the guys in my draft class. Everyone is in a different stage in their lives. Some are married, some aren't married. Maybe some dating supermodels, some not, like I don't know, so everyone is different stages of their lives and so I would say I haven't really kept in contact with any of them."
Q: On the other side of the ball watching the Chargers on defense, the disguise of coverage looks to be one of their calling cards to me and Chargers S Derwin James seems to be at the focal point of that. Is that an accurate assessment and how tough is it to get ready for a player like Derwin James?
"Yeah, for sure. I definitely would say he's a gamechanger when it comes to what you want to do offensively in terms of him wanting to blitz, him wanting to be in the box show blitz and then dropping a zone or play man. The way they try to disguise it, I think they do a really good job doing so with Derwin (James)."
Q: What's the process of developing chemistry with TE Darren Waller been like?
"It's been cool just because of his story, right? Like he hadn't been playing last year, then he comes in, his first game he gets two touchdowns. Next game he catches a good amount of balls and then he ends up having another touchdown. It's like you couldn't even write this up in a way, but I think for a guy of his caliber, in a way for me makes it a little easier when it comes to the size that he has. I can see him – it's kind of like I am able to adjust that way whereas, OK, I know this guy is here, but I know he's going to be there. So I've got to trust that when I throw this ball, he's going to be there, and then that's where you kind of finetune things with timing with certain guys."
Q: Looking back, what do you think were some of the reasons why the Dolphins couldn't get the ball back to him after those first five catches he had?
"I wouldn't say we weren't trying to get him the ball. It's just within the progression of how we're calling plays and how we're reading it, sometimes we don't progress all the way through or sometimes we like a certain matchup that we called for a play and we want to work that instead of trying to go through the progression."
Q: The way that they gave TE Darren Waller attention in the second half, was that anywhere similar to what teams have done to WR Tyreek Hill in the past? I know it's not the same players.
"I would say no just because although they were in their two-shell, it wasn't anything like a tricky two or they played quarters so they were flat. They were just, all right, try to keep it in front of us and if he tries to go deep, then we'll try to stay flat-footed and run with him, so I think it's different."
Q: How would you describe the importance of Sunday's game in light of the 1-4 record?
"I would say they're all important for us. We've got to look at it every game is its own season, but we've got to cut all of that out now and we've got to start now if we want to make a run and we want to start making moves. That's what I would say about that."
Q: WR Jaylen Waddle had 110 yards. Last time WR Tyreek Hill was down a couple years ago he had 130 in that game. Do you see anything different from him when he's kind of the top guy in the offense or is it kind of business as usual for Jaylen Waddle?
"I would say 'J. Dub' (Jaylen Waddle) has been the same, whether he's the guy that's getting the most attention, whether he's not the guy getting the most attention. He's been the same with the way his game is, with the way he attacks his game and then his attention to details. I wouldn't say he's changed. He's always been the same."
