Tua Tagovailoa put up an elite performance to help the Miami Dolphins begin their new season, leading a 36-34 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
And it was a historic performance, one that put Tagovailoa’s name slightly beneath none other than Tom Brady.
Tagovailoa, who led the NFL in passer rating just two seasons ago, completed 28-of-45 passes with three touchdowns, finishing with 466 total passing yards. That marked the fourth-most passing yards thrown in a season opener in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats & Info, two slots behind Brady who threw for 517 for the Patriots — ironically against the Dolphins, back in 2011.
Had Tagovailoa thrown for four more yards, the 25-year-old would’ve notched a new career-high, which he set back in 2022.
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After kicking off the season 1-0, Tagovailoa himself was stunned by his yardage total.
“What? Damn,” Tagovailoa said postgame, per CBS video. “Well, we just stuck to our game plan. For me, it was just going through my progression, working through my progression, not trying to mix things up out there.”
Tagovailoa and Miami wideout Tyreek Hill, who racked up 215 yards himself in an elite Week 1 showing of his own, will next head to New England and face the Patriots (0-1) in Week 2 next Sunday.
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Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
