Tua Called Out for Being Late to Meeting by Ex-Teammate Hamilton amid Viral Video

Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton implied that Tua Tagovailoa should lead by example after the Dolphins quarterback expressed a need for more internal accountability after a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

During his postgame press conference, Tagovailoa called out some of his teammates for not doing the “little things,” such as showing up to players-only meetings on time.

Hamilton, who was briefly on the Dolphins practice squad during the 2022 season, recalled one instance when Tagovailoa arrived late to a team meeting:

The Dolphins signed Hamilton to their practice squad on Dec. 14 and released him on Dec. 30. A two-week period almost three years ago isn’t a lot of time from which to draw an accurate portrayal of Miami’s franchise quarterback.

Hamilton isn’t the only person calling out Tagovailoa in the wake of his remarks Sunday, though.

The comments didn’t sit well with former NFL players Andrew Whitworth and Dez Bryant:

An opposing coach didn’t think a public critique was all that helpful toward addressing what’s wrong in South Florida, either.

“He says it starts with leadership, and it’s like, ‘Do you mean your head coach? Yourself? Other teammates?'” they said to The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “It always starts with leadership. It is hard to think about a dynamic turnaround without a dynamic leader.”

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, for his part, said that Dolphins players have “been very accountable to me” when asked about Tagovailoa’s assessment.

“It sounds like there was something on his mind with regard to the specific meetings, with a couple individuals that he was trying to get corrected with direct communication,” McDaniel told reporters. “I think that’s the only way to lead.

“As far as where we’ve been at as a program, I think we’ve opened the air on all of that, and it’s very clear how we hold be accountable and what’s non-negotiable. Clearly, he’s sending a message. But from my standpoint, everything that I’ve asked of the guys, they’ve delivered on. So I’m sure whoever he’s talking to, they’ll deliver as well, as he’s a direct communicator with his teammates.”

The Dolphins waited only one game before staging their first players-only gathering of the 2025 season, and they had multiple meetings without coaches in the room last year.

Miami fell to 1-5 with Sunday’s defeat and is on pace to miss the playoffs for the second straight year.

A general reset was expected after the team traded away star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and lost some key veterans to free agency. Still, it was important for McDaniel to establish a culture that pointed to possible success in 2026 and beyond.

The opposite is happening instead, and it’s raising big questions about whether the Dolphins can move forward with the status quo.