Tua apologizes for comments: 'Made a mistake'

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa apologized Wednesday for his comments aft Sunday's game, successful which helium criticized teammates for being precocious to players-only meetings.

Tagovailoa opened his quality league Wednesday by apologizing for his comments and taking work for their interaction connected his teammates.

"I've made a mistake and I'm owning up to that close now," helium said. "I've talked to guys connected the squad astir it, talked to the leaders astir it, and they cognize my heart. They cognize that the intent was right. But nary substance the intent ... erstwhile things get misconstrued oregon nevertheless the media wants to represent it, that leaves a void of soundlessness and a batch of questions for the guys connected our squad present being 1-5. We speech a batch about, 'all right, we got to get this going, travel successful excited to spell to work, hide astir the noise.' And I consciousness similar I conscionable added onto that for our guys.

"I've got to look astatine myself arsenic the person protecting the team. I don't consciousness similar I did that to the champion of my abilities. I felt similar I fto the emotions of the crippled get to maine aft the game. And that's thing that I tin larn from arsenic a person connected this squad and what happens in-house should beryllium protected and nary of that should person gotten out."

Shortly aft Miami's 29-27 nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Chargers past week, Tagovailoa was asked however players would refrain from feeling atrocious for themselves aft a 1-5 start. He said the team's subordinate enactment needed to intelligibly specify expectations for the remainder of the squad -- and those expectations needed to beryllium met.

"We person guys showing up to players-only meetings late, guys not showing up to players-only meetings," helium said. "There's a batch that goes into that. Do we person to marque this mandatory? Do we not person to marque this mandatory?

"It's a batch of things of that quality that we've got to get cleaned up, and it starts with small things similar that."

Dolphins manager Mike McDaniel said Monday that Tagovailoa's comments were "misguided" and were made successful an improper forum.

Multiple players, including Rasul Douglas, Aaron Brewer and Patrick Paul, declined to remark connected Tagovailoa's nationalist connection from Sunday, saying squad issues should beryllium kept successful house.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler, who is simply a squad skipper similar Tagovailoa, said everyone has a "right to our opinion" but different said helium didn't privation to critique the quarterback.

McDaniel said helium hasn't had an contented with subordinate attendance astatine squad meetings, and that Tagovailoa's comments pertained lone to players-only sessions. The Dolphins had an contented with tardiness and absences from squad activities successful erstwhile seasons, but aggregate players and coaches accidental those issues are down them.

"There's been worldly successful the past we person perfectly fixed," Sieler said. "We person a batch of caller guys connected my broadside of the shot ... and I deliberation we person a batch of guys that privation to bargain in. They're buying into the culture, they're trying to enactment their champion ft forward. We aren't making immoderate of the plays we request to make, and the champion happening we tin bash is beryllium present, present each signifier to truly hone successful connected those plays to marque it arsenic game-like arsenic imaginable truthful connected Sunday we commencement making those plays."

Tagovailoa said helium made his archetypal comments retired of vexation and conversations with his teammates opened him up to perspectives that helium hadn't antecedently thought of.

Miami's commencement to the play is its...