Tua defends his offseason aim to bulk up frame

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa responded to comments made by ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark regarding his offseason work ethic, asking Clark to keep "my name out your mouth."

Clark joked Monday on "NFL Live" that Tagovailoa "wasn't in the gym, I'll bet you that. He might spend a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised." He also joked that Tagovailoa was "thick" and compared him to women working at a strip club.

When asked about his comments on social media, Clark clarified that he was joking and stood by what he said.

"I 100% take accountability for it!! I said it!! I meant it!! It was a joke!!" Clark wrote Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. "If asked why I said it by Tua I would tell him. I have 0 issues looking a man in the eye and telling my truth. I accept any consequence."

Tagovailoa was asked about Clark's comments following the Dolphins' practice Wednesday and made it clear he didn't appreciate the joke.

"I mean, he probably knows more about me than I know about myself. I don't know, Ryan's been out of the league for some time," Tagovailoa said. "It's a little weird when people are talking about other people when they're not that person. I come from a Samoan family; respect is everything.

"But it does get to a point where, hey, you know, little easy on that, buddy. I think we're pretty tough-minded people, and if we need to get scrappy we can get scrappy too. Just saying."

Tagovailoa bulked up to 238 pounds at one point this offseason before cutting down to 225 before training camp at the end of July. He was listed at 217 pounds during the 2022 season.

His offseason consisted of a weight-training program as well as a jiu-jitsu break-fall routine. The purpose of each was to prepare his body to play a full season -- which he has not done since entering the league in 2020.

Tagovailoa said he and his teammates all worked hard this offseason, adding that the muscle gain was something he didn't necessarily want, but needed.

"I'm not one to talk about myself the entire time but I mean, it takes a lot," Tagovailoa said. "You think I wanted to build all this muscle? Like, I wanted to be a little lighter. There's a mixture of things that people don't understand, that people don't know about, that are talked about behind the scenes.

"So, you know, I'd appreciate it if you kept my name out your mouth. That's what I'd say."