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USATSI

The biggest news surrounding Tua Tagovailoa is the fact that he is taking part in Dolphins OTAs as he continues to work toward a contract extension. But there's another Tua-related story worth keeping an eye on. 

The Dolphins' starting quarterback is noticeably slimmer, having dropped between 10-15 pounds to get down to about 220 pounds, according to NFL Media. Tagovailoa is hoping to be more mobile and have more escapability this year, which is the reason for the weight drop. 

If you're a fan of Tua or the Dolphins, you likely know that this is an abrupt change in philosophy from last offseason, when Miami wanted Tagovailoa to bulk up in order to better withstand some of the hits that contributed to his head injuries in prior seasons. But after a healthy 2023 season, the Dolphins are comfortable with Tagovailoa returning to his more normal playing weight. 

One of the reasons why the Dolphins are comfortable is the fact that they reportedly don't feel that Tagovailoa's healthy 2023 season was solely the byproduct of adding weight. They feel, per NFL Media, that martial arts also played a significant factor, as Tagovailoa was able to avoid some of the backwards falls last year that contributed to some of his prior injuries. 

The Dolphins are surely hoping that Tagovailoa can duplicate the success he had last season. The former No. 5 overall pick was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2023 after throwing a career-high 29 touchdowns and leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards. He also played in each of Miami's 17 games, a big win for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins after he missed four games in 2022 as the result of multiple head injuries.