MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — As Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa put it Thursday, talking about playing quarterback is a lot easier than actually playing the position.

When asked about whether he’s being criticized more for his contract than his play, Tagovailoa suggested his job is more difficult than pundits make it seem.

Tagovailoa was specifically asked about Cam Newton’s comments on ESPN’s “First Take” last week, following the Dolphins’ 31-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, in which the former NFL MVP criticized Tagovailoa’s performance considering the four-year, $212.1 million extension he signed last summer.

“Tagovailoa is making more than Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Matthew Stafford, Jayden Daniels,” Newton said. “Am I pocket watching? No, I’m putting things into perspective here … In this case, it should be more money, more expectations. When I see Tua Tagovailoa over this year, alone, I’ve heard him more than I ever had. That’s not to say you can’t talk, I like quiet Tua. Alabama Tua. Chip on your shoulder Tua. Not, ‘is somebody going to come in and watch film.’

“What you’re being paid, what you’re asked to do, what you have the capability of — from one quarterback to the another, I look at the situation like come on dawg. Especially when you’ve got a Ferrari and a Lamborghini and other amenities that other quarterbacks wish they had.”

Tagovailoa admitted he hasn’t played “anywhere near” the standard he’s capable of, but dismissed Newton’s comments in response to football pundits as a whole.

“Well, anybody can play quarterback in this league then. I want to see anybody on the streets come and play quarterback,” Tagovailoa said. “Cam is doing his thing for sure, but I think it’s easier to be able to hold a clicker and talk about it that way or talk about what someone else is doing wrong when you’re not going out and having to do the same as them.

“I think it’s easy to do that, I think anybody can do that. I don’t think anybody can play quarterback.”

Tagovailoa’s five touchdown passes are tied for seventh-most in the NFL through three games, but his four interceptions are tied for 2nd-most.

He also ranks 29th in quarterback rating with a 35.8, and his 6.4 air yards per attempt ranks 25th. He’s turned the ball over in all three of Miami’s games this season as the team started 0-3 for the first time since 2019.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa can always improve but praised his quarterback’s mentality during the team’s losing streak.

“The game of a franchise quarterback is never just still … there’s opportunities that he needs to take advantage of,” he said. “There’s also a ton of opportunities to turn the ball over that he hasn’t taken. He’s really answered the bell for 99% of the time … It’s not an easy task to be in his shoes, but I’m very happy with where his mind is at and where his focus is at because if he was a weaker-minded individual, it’s tough for any quarterback during any losing streak or any whatever.

“He’s focused on being 1-0 against the New York Jets and that’s why I know he’s capable and I’m excited to see his next opportunity that we work on all week because of just that, of being focused on the right things.”

Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards in 2023, in what remains the only season he did not miss a game. He missed a career-high six games to various injuries in 2024 and insists that “getting down” and protecting himself is a priority in 2025.

Senior Jalen Montonati, the No. 44 player in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 basketball rankings, announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Thursday, giving coach Steve Lutz his first top prospect since taking over the Cowboys in 2024.

Montonati, the top high school player in the state of Oklahoma, also visited Kansas State and Oklahoma, but the 6-foot-6 wing opted to play where his father suited up for Eddie Sutton in the late 1990s.

“In a time with so much portal recruiting, they made me a priority,” Montonati told ESPN. “The day after Coach Lutz got the job, he called me and expressed that I was a priority. The support and love from Coach Lutz and the staff was great all summer long. They attended all my games.”

Oklahoma State made it clear to Montonati earlier this month that he was their top target with a late-night in-home visit on the first day of the recruiting period.

“When the September recruiting period opened, they came to my house at midnight. They wanted to be the first ones to see me,” Montonati said. “We have built a great relationship where we talk about basketball and life off the court.”

A product of Owasso High School (Oklahoma), Montonati averaged 15.8 points on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer for the MoKan grassroots program, including a 29-point performance against Brad Beal Elite at the Nike Peach Jam in July. Montonati also helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, pacing the team in 3-pointers.

Montonati is a shooter with length who is capable of getting clean looks against closeouts and in contested situations. He’ll be an immediate asset as an off-ball threat, someone who opens the floor for others and moves off screens.

He’s the first commitment for Oklahoma State in the 2026 class.