Dolphins stars Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill receive awards for 2023 season

A trio of Dolphins standouts received individual awards from Sporting News on Thursday.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was named Comeback Player of the Year, and wide receiver Tyreek Hill was named Offensive Player of the Year. Hill and running back Raheem Mostert were also named to the 2023 All-Pro Team.

The Comeback Player of the Year award and Offensive Player of the Year award were selected by fellow players. The All-Pro Team was voted on by head coaches across the league.

After missing five games because of a pair of stints in the concussion protocol in 2022, Tagovailoa played in every game in 2023, a first in his career. Tagovailoa led the NFL with a career-high 4,624 passing yards and set career-best marks for passing touchdowns (29) and completion percentage (69.3 percent). Tagovailoa was voted to his first Pro Bowl.

Hill led the NFL with a career-high 1,799 receiving yards. His 13 touchdown receptions tied for the NFL lead, and his 119 receptions ranked second. Hill was voted to the Pro Bowl and was a unanimous first-team AP All-Pro selection.

Mostert had the best year of his career in his age-31 season. He rushed for a career-high 1,012 yards. His 18 touchdowns are not only the most he has scored in a season but set a Dolphins franchise record. Mostert was also named to his first Pro Bowl.

Tagovailoa and Hill are also finalists for the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award and Offensive Player of the Year award, respectively.

Winners will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas. The show will be broadcast on CBS and NFL Network and streamed on Paramount+ and NFL+.

Dolphins to participate in Flag & Skills Competition at Pro Bowl

The Dolphins’ contingent has arrived in Orlando for the 2024 Pro Bowl games and multiple players will be taking part in the AFC vs. NFC Skills competition on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Sunday.

On Thursday, Tagovailoa will participate in Precision Passing, a one-minute accuracy competition, as quarterbacks attempt to accumulate points by hitting as many targets as possible.

Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold will participate in Closest to the Pin on Thursday. It’s a golf accuracy competition in which players drive a golf ball, working to hit it as close to the hole as possible. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey will be part of the Dodgeball competition on Thursday.

On Sunday, left tackle Terron Armstead will take part in Move the Chains, a strength and speed competition between linemen from each conference that has them work together to move 3,000 pounds of weights off a massive wall and be the first team to pull that 2,000-pound wall across the finish line. Armstead will also participate in Gridiron Gauntlet, a full-field relay race between six players on each conference through an obstacle course.

Hill will be competing in Madden NFL Head-to-Head, a Madden 24 game using the 2024 Pro Bowl Games roster.

The week of competition culminates in a flag football game between the conferences at Camping World Stadium. Sunday’s event will also be televised from 3-6 p.m. on ESPN, ABC, Disney XD, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes.

Prospect draws inspiration from Dolphins star

From afar, it’s not hard to see similarities between top draft prospect Laiatu Latu and the Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips.

The two both went to UCLA (at different times), wore No. 15 and have similar frames. Latu is 6-4 and 261 pounds and Phillips is 6-5 and 261 pounds. They also both returned from medical retirements to establish themselves as some of the top pass rushers in the nation.

At the Senior Bowl this week, Latu was one of the standouts, impressing in 1-one-1s and team drlls with his refined pass rush skills.

With Phillips and Bradley Chubb rehabbing from significant lower body injuries, it’s possible Miami could target an edge rusher like Latu, who is considered a first-round prospect, with the 21st overall pick.

Latu said he didn’t cross paths with Phillips at UCLA and is one of the many players he models his game after.

Latu said he met with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl.

“They were interested and it was a great talk,” he said.