Tua Tagovailoa Raises Major Odell Beckham Jr. Concern Amid Training Camp Absence Ahead of NFL Season

Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback, addressed his worries about chemistry with Odell Beckham Jr.

By Suyash Sinha

Published on Aug 27, 2024 | 05:01 PM IST | 38.3K

Tua Tagovailoa

This year's Miami Dolphins offense includes a new wide receiver, but he has not received any reps with his new squad since signing. Odell Beckham Jr. has been battling with a knee injury this offseason, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been open about the lack of on-field connection they have been able to develop.

With preseason and training camp almost finished and the regular season just around the horizon, Beckham Jr. has yet to practice with his new club since being placed on the physically unable to perform list last month. This made Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa quite apprehensive about his on-field relationship with the veteran receiver.

Tua expressed his worry when speaking with the media on Monday. According to Tua, "Off the field, I've been able to hang out with him [Beckham Jr.] a good amount of times," Tagovailoa stated. "Cool man, 100%. But does this translate? Does our relationship translate to the field? I couldn't tell you since I hadn't received any reps from him. And it is the honest truth."

Tua noted that Beckham Jr. is a nine-year veteran with five 1,000-yard seasons, three Pro Bowl appearances, and two Second Team All-Pro choices. But he's only played 14 games in the previous two years and has missed 34 games since the 2019 season.

Tua added, "One of the first things I want to do is routes on air, and I want to get as many reps with him as possible." Okay, he's going to go in for this rep; let's make sure this guy gets the ball and the coverage isn't anything. I want to make sure the time is correct. I simply want to make sure everything is well."

He also mentioned that in order to get into a rhythm with him and acquire his timing, Beckham Jr. would probably need to shake off some rust and overcome a tiny learning curve.

Following the Dolphins' preseason game on Friday, head coach Mike McDaniel stated that he is not concerned about Beckham missing substantial time and lauded the veteran for finding ways to contribute while down.

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The Miami Dolphins are recovering after a disappointing season finale in which the club blew a huge AFC East lead and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Kansas City Chiefs.

However, the Dolphins signed free agency receiver Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this summer to correct a mistake they made last year. When OBJ was signed, many expected the club to have one of the most dangerous wide receiver trios in the NFL, led by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Beckham played 14 games for the Baltimore Ravens last season on a lucrative one-year contract, totaling 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns. That was his best performance since 2019, and the Dolphins will be aiming for similar, if not better, results in 2024, provided the 31-year-old stays healthy.

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