Tyreek Hill is enlisting the help of Miami Dolphins fans to help Tua Tagovailoa learn to protect himself better.

Tagovailoa is set to return to the field in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals after enduring another concussion in Week 2 against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. After the initial hit, many around the NFL suggested it would be best if the Dolphins’ star quarterback retired for his health.

Instead, the 26-year-old will be taking the field again this year. Because of his decision, Hill, Miami’s star wideout suggested that Dolphins fans do their part in making sure Tagovailoa can protect himself when he runs the ball.

“When we were playing against the [Indianapolis] Colts, you see the fans start clapping for Anthony Richardson when he slid,” Hill explained, per The Palm Beach Post. “I said our fans need to clap for Tua, make him slide.”

Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert echoed Hill’s thoughts, believing the quarterback needs to heed their warning if he wants to continue playing football.

“We’ve been talking to him ever since his injury. I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding,’” Mostert said, according to The Palm Beach Post. “And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better and moving forward, only he can control those things.”

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins addresses the media at Baptist Health Training Complex on October 21, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida

Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to action in the coming weeks, though he is choosing not to wear a guardian cap ( 

Image:

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

No matter how much Hill, Mostert and the fans plead with Tagovailoa to slide instead of leading with his upper body, the running back is resigned to the fact that any change is dependent on Tagovailoa himself.

“We can say those things to him until we’re blue in the face, but one thing that I would say that’s always my saying is, ‘Hey, you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, right?’” the 32-year-old continued. “We’re going to bring Tua to that water, but we can’t make him drink. He has an understanding of that, and moving forward, he’s going to do his best.”

In an attempt to make the game safer for the signal caller, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked whether Tagovailoa would wear a “Guardian Cap” to protect himself. McDaniel deflected the question to Tagovailoa, suggesting it was up to the quarterback to make that decision.

“We aren’t allowed to mandate things that aren’t mandated regarding a player’s attire. In terms of his career, we have a high priority to pass forth information and knowledge so that decisions can be made,” McDaniels continued. “I always preach that it’s the individual player’s determination of they want to do so. One thing we won’t do is scurt the information gathering process.”

When Tagovailoa was asked whether or not he was going to wear a guardian cap, he had a very simple answer.

“Nope. Personal choice,” he told reporters during a press conference, per AOL.