The quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa, has excelled since Mike McDaniel became head coach before the start of the 2022 season.

However, Tagovailoa has previously expressed feelings of disconnection with the coaching staff that preceded McDaniel, particularly Brian Flores, who currently serves as the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. In a recent interview on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Tagovailoa provided his most candid evaluation yet of the different coaching styles of Flores and McDaniel.

“To explain it simply,” observed Tagovailoa, 26, during the chat, “if every morning I told you that you were terrible at your job, that you didn’t deserve to be there, and that someone else should take your place, it would affect your self-esteem. Then, someone comes along and tells you that you are the best fit for the role, that you are accurate, and that you excel at what you do. How would you feel hearing one message over the other?”

“You absorb those messages, both positive and negative, over time and eventually, you start to believe them. It doesn’t matter who you are — even if you’re the President of the United States, if consistently exposed to negativity, you might start doubting yourself. That’s pretty much what happened during that time.”

Flores served as the head coach for the Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, posting a record of 24 wins and 25 losses, improving the team from previous struggling seasons. Nonetheless, he was let go in January 2022, despite finishing the previous season with an impressive 8-1 record.

During Flores’ tenure, Tagovailoa grappled with consistency issues, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,467 yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 27 to 15.

“It’s been two years of shifting that mindset — not just for me, but for a few colleagues who have been here since my rookie year,” Tagovailoa noted.

Under McDaniel’s mentorship, Tagovailoa has been encouraged to take more risks and make longer passes. As a result, he has completed 67.4% of his attempts for 8,172 yards and has a significantly improved touchdown-to-interception ratio of 54 to 22. Notably, last season, Tagovailoa recorded 4,624 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes, exceeding his total from the first two seasons combined.

In July, the Dolphins rewarded Tagovailoa with a substantial four-year contract extension worth up to $212.4 million, of which $167 million is guaranteed.