MIAMI GARDENS — After the Miami Dolphins’ 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, there were images captured of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa having a lengthy interaction with Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey, a former teammate in Miami.
The two were talking and sharing laughs for an extended period before Tagovailoa made his way into the visitors’ locker room at Acrisure Stadium.
The interaction has drawn social media ire from Dolphins fans, understandably upset over the way the team lost, the playoff elimination and because Ramsey had an ugly breakup with the Dolphins and coach Mike McDaniel last offseason, ultimately leading to the trade that sent him to the Steelers.
The criticism has since extended to national football programs and podcasts, with retired five-time All-Pro J.J. Watt saying on the Pat McAfee Show the optics weren’t ideal.
“I am a believer in there is at least a minimum responsibility on the optics and everything with the fanbase and understanding how everybody is feeling after a certain game or after a way a season is going,” Watt said. “I’m not sitting here saying don’t laugh, you can’t talk to a friend after a game or anything like that, but I do think there are some optics of, when you’re cracking up, belly-laughing on the field after you just lost a huge game in that way to be eliminated from the playoffs, that’s a look that doesn’t go over well, whether it’s with certain other players in the locker room, whether it’s with ownership, whether it’s with the fanbase.
“There is a responsibility when you’re the highest-paid player on the team and you are the leader of the organization. That’s just not a good look.”
A couple of Dolphins offensive coaches were asked about it Thursday at team facilities, as rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers is now set to start for Tagovailoa.
“It’s a 60-minute game, you catch somebody at a moment — what are you supposed to be, miserable the whole time?” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said. “I mean, that’s just not realistic. That’s painting a perception of something that’s not necessarily true. Everyone was very disappointed in the way the game went and very upset that it didn’t go their way.”
Smith took it a step further.
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“When (tight end) Darren (Waller) caught the ball in the end zone, were we supposed to be like, ‘Wish he would’ve done that three quarters ago?’” he said. “You never know, when you catch someone at that moment, what that was. I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock into it because it’s a very hard game, it’s a long season. You have to find joy in each moment, because that’s the joy that pushes you forward.”
Miami running backs coach Eric Studesville explained it from the fraternity aspect of the NFL, and that players and coaches are going to interact with one another before and after games.
“This is a very fraternal existence that we’re in, players and coaches,” Studesville said. “One of the most interesting parts of the game, to me, I think, if people saw it, is the two hours before a game. If you go out there and you see all of us as coaches that are out on the field, guys that you’ve worked with before, you’re meeting new people, young coaches, whatever, we’re socializing, we’re interacting, we’re happy for those people. We’re asking about their kids, we’re asking, ‘How you doing? How’s this? How’s everything going?’ Because we have ties with each other.
“Now, that hour then, all of a sudden, before the game, we split up and we’re trying to go and we’re trying to get after each other professionally, which is what we do. And then, as soon as the game’s over, we come back together. We just want everybody to be safe, healthy. ‘Hey, how you doing? Take care of yourself.’ You know? ‘I’ll talk to you soon.’ Whatever that is.
“We’re focused and locked in during the game. Is there times when you smile? Yeah, when you score, a guy should smile. Does a guy have to be serious and locked in and that he can enjoy scoring a touchdown? I don’t think that’s the case either.”
Ramsey appeared to be talking smack throughout the Monday night game whenever he made a play. He had a sack on Tagovailoa. After tight end Greg Dulcich dropped a 2-point conversion, he looked at an ESPN camera and could clearly be heard shouting that he’s “weak,” with an expletive to follow.
After Monday night’s game, Tagovailoa said he wasn’t necessarily hearing Ramsey’s smack talk but noted the postgame conversation.
“Talked to him a long time after the game,” Tagovailoa said. “He wanted to talk. That’s my dude. Solid, solid player. Solid person. I enjoy competing against him. Wish the outcome would have been different, though, so I could have talked a little more of my — you know — to him.”
Tagovailoa and Ramsey were teammates together on the 2023 and 2024 Dolphins.
