Miami Dolphins quarterback and former Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa‘s brother, Taulia, will get his shot at the NFL.
The former Maryland quarterback received an invitation for the Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp in May according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 11,356 yards and 77 touchdowns versus 37 interceptions in five college seasons.
His career started at Alabama in 2019, and he played one season with his older brother there. Miami drafted the older Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in 2020, and he became a starter early on with nine starts as a rookie.
The younger Tagovailoa transferred to Maryland that same year, but he only appeared in four games. He became a full-time starter in 2021 and completed 66.4% of his passes and threw for more than 3,000 yards in each of those seasons.
Rookie camp invitees don’t often make the final 53-man roster, but Tagovailoa will provide competition in the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks also have former San Jose State quarterback Chevan Cordeiro coming into camp as an undrafted free agent.
Similarly the Dolphins will have former UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison after he signed an undrafted free agent contract.
Taulia Tagovailoa Seeks Advice From Tua
Tua Tagovailoa has enjoyed the most success of any Dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino. Tagovailoa has one Pro Bowl appearance, led the league in passing for 2023, and led the Dolphins to the playoffs twice.
“I want to be where he’s at, and he helps me a lot,” Taulia Tagovailoa said via ESPN’s Heather Dinich on April 12. “The biggest thing for me, he knows how to talk to me. I’m more like, ‘What should I do? Just tell me what it is; don’t beat around.’ Basically, just be myself and have fun.”
“It’s not a make-or-break thing if I don’t do good,” Tagovailoa added. “It’s just being right with myself and making sure I’m at peace with everything and putting in the work the right way.”
Tagovailoa impressed at times in the pre-draft process, but no team called his name April 25-27 in Detroit. His rookie camp invite is considered a tryout and not the equivalent of an undrafted free agent contract.
Tagovailoa doesn’t have great NFL height for a quarterback at 5-foot-10, and his 37 interceptions is a concern, too. If Tagovailoa can’t get past the rookie minicamp, he could catch on elsewhere in the league.
Taulia Tagovailoa ‘Understood Being in Tua’s Shadow’
Taulia Tagovailoa’s head coach at Maryland, Mike Locksley, knows how far the quarterback has come from backing up his brother at Alabama to being an NFL hopeful. Locksley served as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator when the Tagovaioloa brothers were together in 2019.
“That’s one of the things when Taulia came here that was a concern of mine because I understood the family dynamics, understood being in Tua’s shadow,” Locksley said via Dinich. “But what I’ve been able to see, and if you ever get to know the kid, he’s a kid that’s really stood on his own.”
“His stats provide that data to show that he’s a guy that can make those type of plays. I thought he handled — because of his love for his brother — being in that shadow as an honor, rather than something as a hindrance.”
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