Read the full transcript from Tua Tagovailoa's press conference on July 30, 2025.
Q: Do you like this schedule more than years past?
"It's different. It's different. It really doesn't matter to me, I would've like the other one too. I think just trying to beat the heat and all of that because it is pretty hot out there."
Q: This morning Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about your mastery of just everything about playing the position, whether its details of practice, getting guys in the right spot. Just kind of curious to get your perspective on where you are in that regard now in your sixth year?
"Continuing to work on the things that I feel I'm good at but also trying to get better and trying to still master a lot of the concepts which still give me conflict with different coverages or one look at a coverage pre-snap to post-snap. Still trying to work on that."
Q: Do you sometimes go to Head Coach Mike McDaniel or to Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver even to be like "Can we get this extra look so that I can get a look against something that does give me issues?" How does that communication work in terms of how they can present to you things that you need to see?
"I talk to the players more than I talk to the coaches about certain things, and then if I really do need something back again then I'll go mention that to Mike (McDaniel). I have conversations with 'Weave' (Anthony Weaver) about certain looks that they do, reasons as to why they do it and then why I think that's very helpful for my game. We go about it in that sense, but just coming out, not knowing what they're going to do, I think that's the way to do it in training camp so that as you go out with what your soundbites are, your footwork, what you should be thinking of. If you go out there and you're thinking about the right stuff, then we'll see it on film. And if you're not, that too we'll see it on film, and you'll feel that as well in practice."
Q: What are the conversations like with S Minkah Fitzpatrick when – I've seen you go up to him and ask him about, I guess, particular looks. What are those conversations about?
"He's had a couple looks where he wasn't happy with himself, in regards to what I did with my eyes, or what I did with my footwork to flip back to throw to where he potentially should've been. And then there are also some where he was baiting me into throwing it and then, as you can see on the film, could it have been a pick, could it have been a big hit, we don't know. I'm just trying to talk with him because it looked like he was going to the post, then he ends up becoming a robber. I don't know, the pre-snap to post-snap, the games that he plays with me, I really enjoy that. He's helping get me better as well as vice versa."
Q: That said, seven practices, no picks for you. What do you think is contributing to that during camp when a lot of things can be installed and sometimes you are in a position where it's tough on a quarterback?
"I would say I'm not thinking too much about it if I throw an interception or if I don't throw an interception. In camp, you just want to see how consistent you can be with the plays that you're given, and a lot of the times it's I'm just going to try to see what this is going to look like and what this is going to play like, and if you want to try to see if this fits in this window on a certain pass, you try to see it. We did that today on one of the first plays maybe of camp today. I'm not really basing it off of what the result is or isn't for myself in this training camp. I have about two or three things max that I have for myself that I'm focusing on for each practice that I go out there. I can tell you two of the three things, I did not do really well today. So that's what I'm saying, it's not result-oriented because I know for myself what wanted to get done, and I wasn't able to get that done today."
Q: And those things are…?
"Those things are private. (laughter)"
Q: Question about your connection with WR Jaylen Waddle which I know goes back a long way. I know WR Tyreek Hill wasn't there for a lot of the offseason program. You were orange jersey two days ago, Waddle orange jersey today. Has the relationship gotten stronger, and if so, in what ways?
"I would say the relationship has continued to grow. I wouldn't say it's gotten stronger or weaker. I hang out with (Jaylen) Waddle pretty much the same that I've been hanging out with him over these past couple years. I just think there's a difference in his game this year and there's a difference in 'Reek's' (Tyreek Hill) game this year because of the way that they communicate with each other now. They communicate as a whole now. And like the other things I've said about 'Reek' and then with Waddle as well, but those guys are the guys that get things going for our offense. Getting those guys on the same board as each other with me, we're able to help each other make practices look pretty good."
Q: What's the difference between facing LB Chop Robinson this year compared to last year?
"Chop (Robinson) is growing up, man. That boy is growing up, gaining a little more muscle. That boy is getting a little faster, but you can tell someone's age by their music. I kind of didn't like his playlist yesterday. (laughter) You know what I'm saying? I didn't like his playlist yesterday, but other than that, outside of music, pretty good football player."
Q: What have you seen from OB Quinn Ewers so far?
"I think Quinn (Ewers) has been balling. I think he's been buying into what he's been told in the quarterback room and then things that he's taken from the meeting rooms. With (Head Coach) Mike's (McDaniel) meetings, 'Slow's' (Senior Passing Game Specialist Bobby Slowik) meetings, and 'Bev's' (Quarterbacks/Pass Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell) meetings, and he's been able to take that out here on the practice field. He's been doing really well. I think Zach (Wilson) has been doing pretty good as well, and they'll continue to work. They'll continue to get me better, I'll continue to get those guys better and continue to help that room grow."
Q: Are you happy with the level of play so far through the first two days of pads for the whole team?
"No, there's always going to be things that we need to correct, and I think that's the way to have it. Whether you have a good practice, whether you have a bad practice, you continue to stay even keel as a team, and you continue to find things even if you thought you had a good practice. You continue to find things that you need to work on and I think that how you continue to grow and get better as a team."
Q: Is there any extra motivation on this year's team, seeing DeVonta Smith and Jalen Hurts get their rings, just for a few of you guys on this team?
"There's always been motivation to get a ring, but now that those guys got a ring, we've got to do something about that. Talking with Jaylen Waddle, we've been on that. Trying to make that possible."
Q: Follow up on last week's conversation, how has that rebuilding of the relationship with WR Tyreek Hill has had to go through been?
"It's been good. We're continuing to grow that relationship, but where we're at with that, that's where we're at and still growing."
Q: How has your approach to practice changed from Year 1 to now in Year 6?
"The biggest difference is how I would rate my practices based off of the result, that's how I would gauge it. If I threw however many completions in comparison to an incompletion, or touchdowns to no interceptions, that's how I would sort of gauge it. I never really had a way for myself in setting goals, it was just like 'I've got to do good.' Well, everybody wants to do good. I figured out maybe within the past two or three years, kind of having a process, kind of having things to work on for yourself while staying on top of your other things, it helped me. That's sort of my process now, and sometimes the practice may look good and everybody is like, 'Yeah, you did this and did that,' but nobody really knows. Only I know truly what that practice was like for myself, whether it was good or indifferent. And it could've looked bad, but I felt good about it."
Q: Would you like to do a few preseason series this year, or is the joint practice enough?
"No, I definitely would love to get some preseason snaps in. No doubt. It's a new season. It's a new year, got to get things tuned in with the guys again, all of that. I don't think I'm better than anyone on this team or think I'm too cool to get reps during preseason games. I don't mind that at all; I would love that."
Q: What has Senior Pass Game Specialist Bobby Slowik brought to this passing game and are there certain tentpoles or measuring sticks about his offense, his passing game?
"He's brought some things over to us. He has a different set of templates, if you will, with how he gets the things in regards to how we got to certain routes and route combinations. He helps out a lot; very detail-oriented in the pass game with what he expects of the guys and what he wants of them to run out there. We're doing good and we enjoy having Bobby (Slowik)."
Q: What do you think of the different cornerbacks that you've seen early in camp? What do you think of those young cornerback that you've gone against?
"It's tough, right? I don't know how you get a really, really good gauge when they're going against '10' (Tyreek Hill) and '17' (Jaylen Waddle) versus some of our other guys. And that's not to disrespect any of our guys in the receiver room, but you got to call it what it is – '10' and '17,' they're just different with how they run their routes and then collectively their speed as well. It's tough for me to say they've done good; they haven't because those guys are just different. Even the top cornerbacks in the league have trouble covering these guys. We're continuing to work as a team. I'm trying to do my best to get those guys on that side of the ball ready before we start flying over to go joint practice with Chicago and Detroit. That's where we're at right now."
Q: We saw Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Stephen Ross out there watching practice. Did you guys have any conversations beforehand? Did you guys get to catch up at all today?
"We didn't have any conversations beforehand. We had a couple conversations out there on the field, just catching up a little bit. And then we also had some talks that were pretty unique to us, I guess, kind of joking in a way as well, so it was good."
