In his latest press conference following the Miami Dolphins’ fifth loss in six games, Tua Tagovailoa pointed fingers at teammates for tardiness and absence in player-only meetings.
He said, “Guys showing up at players-only meetings late. Guys not showing up at players-only meeting…There’s a lot that goes into that.” When a reporter asked whether players were being late and missing meetings, he confidently answered YES!
But the backlash came fast. A former Dolphins wide receiver publicly exposed Tua for being late to meetings himself, shaking the foundation of accountability he demanded. To add to that, several NFL veterans were not buying Tua’s words and had much to say about his remarks.
DeSean Hamilton Exposes Tua Tagovailoa’s Hypocrisy After Dolphins Loss
After Tua Tagovailoa called out teammates for being late to meetings following the team’s fifth loss in six weeks, former Dolphins wide receiver DeSean Hamilton stepped in with a bombshell.
Though Hamilton never played an official game for Miami, he was briefly part of the squad, long enough to witness what he claims is hypocrisy.
“This dude…the starting QB…was late to the first team meeting during my 3 seconds on the Dolphins 😂😂😂😂 and everything was all cool in there,” Hamilton tweeted in response to Tua’s complaints.
His words quickly fueled debates about leadership, accountability, and locker room culture within the struggling Dolphins organization.
NFL Veterans Torch Tua Tagovailoa After Controversial Comments
Besides WR DeSean Hamilton, there were several other NFL veterans who weren’t pleased with Tua’s remarks. After the Miami Dolphins quarterback blamed others for being late to meetings following yet another loss, these NFL veterans publicly roasted him for hypocrisy and lack of leadership.
Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant didn’t mince words. “I want to know what part of this he’s going to take accountability for..Tua threw three picks today…Tua is third in the NFL with the most interceptions thrown by a quarterback.. If you haven’t said this privately first..then in the media..I don’t respect it. And since we are on the topic of respect..I guarantee a lot of the players don’t respect Tua. Tua points the finger and literally has four pointing back at him..If you want to win..put Ewers in!” said Bryant, torching Tua’s leadership and performance in one brutal statement.
Emmanuel Acho, a former linebacker turned analyst, added fuel to the fire. “The Dolphins have to fire their coaches after these statements, Tua also just incriminated himself. He doesn’t have the respect of all his teammates. If players are skipping player only meetings, there is not a healthy reverence of leadership or authority inside the walls.”
His take painted a troubling picture of a fractured locker room and a quarterback losing control of his team.
Even former quarterback Robert Griffin III (RGIII) weighed in, saying, “The Miami Dolphins need to START ALL OVER. It’s so bad in the building that Tua Tagoviloa is calling out other players and leaders in the building for being late to and missing players’ only meetings. They are SINKING.”
Veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth kept it short but sharp, responding, “Woof…. 🙈 That’s on you bud.”
Meanwhile, Mitchell Schwartz questioned Tua’s judgment, asking, “Isn’t he just telling on himself?” before adding, “He is THE leader of the team and guys aren’t showing up to players-only meetings. This has nothing to do with coaches, front office, etc. Players-only meetings are governed by players. Very weird to talk about and admit.”
In just a few hours, NFL Twitter united on one point: Tua Tagovailoa’s leadership is under serious fire.
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