Christian Wilkins appreciates seeing Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's growth along career-best season

Christian Wilkins is wearing different colors now, but that doesn’t preclude him from showering praise on a former prominent teammate.

If anyone got a good view of Tua Tagovailoa‘s maturation as an NFL quarterback, it was Wilkins, who joined Miami one year before Tagovailoa arrived. As the two blossomed in Miami — with Wilkins improving enough to earn a four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders in March — the defensive tackle was there for every step of Tagovailoa’s path from potential first-round bust to quarterback of the NFL’s most explosive offense.

Despite being in a new city, Wilkins takes pride in Tagovailoa’s development and is willing to vehemently defend him against any critics.

“I really had a front-row seat to Tua and his growth and his development as a player, and just as a teammate, a leader, all that,” Wilkins said during an appearance on Arik Armstead‘s Third and Long podcast. “It’s been cool to watch. I feel like, in a way, we kinda had similar stories.”

Wilkins, a highly decorated star from Clemson where he won two national titles and became known for his celebratory dance moves as much as his on-field contributions, arrived in Miami. His impact wasn’t as significant until his last three seasons. From 2021-2023, he significantly increased his sack totals to 4.5, 3.5, and 9.0, respectively, and accumulated a total of 252 tackles.

The performance was so impressive that the Raiders were persuaded to pay for his transfer to Las Vegas. In 2023, Tagovailoa finally overcame his reputation for being injury-prone. He threw for a career-best 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns, achieving a passer rating of 101.1. This earned him his first Pro Bowl selection and helped lead the Dolphins to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Wilkins asserts that while some may view Tagovailoa as merely a result of Mike McDaniel’s inventive offense, the statistics clearly demonstrate his capabilities.

“Wilkins stated, “He experienced his challenges, faced his early struggles. But now, you see, he’s a Pro Bowl player, an MVP finalist, among other things… Regardless of the system, scheme, or any other factor, he’s still playing.”

Football is more complex than just setting up a ball and instructing robots to carry out the designed plays. Tagovailoa devoted a whole offseason to mastering safer landing techniques to prevent injuries. He then proceeded to achieve the highest total in passing yards in the league, driving a Miami offense that was feared by most during the majority of the 2023 season.

It’s not a coincidence that such events occur. Having witnessed his teammate’s rise, Wilkins has no intention of allowing Tagovailoa’s critics to pull him down.

“So, I definitely want to give him a shout out for all the things he’s achieved,” said Wilkins. “Having a front-row seat to watch his growth as a player was just amazing.”