Tua apologizes for calling out teammates after loss to Chargers

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa issued a public apology Wednesday for calling out his teammates following Sunday's 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

"I've made a mistake, and I'm owning up to that right now," Tagovailoa said, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "I've talked to guys on the team about it, talked to the leaders about it, and they know my heart. They know that the intent was right."

When asked postgame how the Dolphins planned to boost team morale after their record dropped to 1-5, Tagovailoa was critical of his teammates for having poor attendance habits during players-only meetings.

"I think it starts with the leadership and helping articulate that for the guys," Tagovailoa said. "And then what we're expecting out of the guys, right? We're expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that?"

The 27-year-old explained Wednesday that he let his emotions get the best of him after the disappointing loss. Tagovailoa believes that he can learn from his mistake and that issues within the team should be kept in-house going forward.

"We talk a lot about, 'All right, we got to get this going, come in excited to go to work, forget about the noise.' And I feel like I just added onto that for our guys," Tagovailoa said.

Head coach Mike McDaniel, who initially Monday called Tagovailoa's comments "misguided," was more interested in looking ahead to the team's next game against the Cleveland Browns than dwelling on his quarterback's words.

"The first, last, and only thing, if I have anything to say about it - and I did in several meetings today - is the Cleveland Browns," McDaniel said, according to The Palm Beach Post's Hal Habib. "Absolutely, he communicated with his teammates, both group and individually, and there's much bigger fish to fry, in the team's opinion and my opinion."

Several veteran players, such as Rasul Douglas and Patrick Paul, declined to comment on Tagovailoa's remarks.