Xavien Howard, Tua Tagovailoa sound off on Dolphins' Hard Knocks feature - "It is bulls**t"
Xavien Howard and Tua Tagovailoa are among the best players for the Miami Dolphins currently, but that does not mean they love basking in the attention that it entails.
Last Monday, HBO and NFL Films announced that Hard Knocks would be returning soon on Max to cover the AFC East leaders' season. The series had previously covered the New York Jets training camp, covering Aaron Rodgers' highly-anticipated debut with the team.
But speaking to the Palm Beach Post, quarterback Tagovailoa, who had earlier this year declined to appear on the Netflix series Quarterback, paused for around 11 seconds, then said:
“That’s probably my reaction."
He would later explain:
"This isn't something that's for me. This is something for the entire team and the entire team has to figure out how they go about that as well. So I know having conversations with some guys in the locker room that for them, it's going to be tough as well."
Meanwhile, four-time Pro Bowler cornerback Howard was more explicit:
“‘Hard Knocks’ is bull----, especially during the season. No, I’m serious. I’m not a fan."
“I feel like being around cameras and stuff like that — I feel like we’ve got to do better," he added. "We’ve got to beat teams with good records. So I feel like before we get all the little fame that’s coming right now, I feel like we’ve got to put in work.”
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on what Hard Knocks appearance will entail
When Hard Knocks: Dolphins was first announced, head coach Mike McDaniel implied that it was not as voluntary as initially imagined, telling local journalists on Monday (via ESPN):
"I wouldn't call it a team decision ... I steer clear of worrying about things that we can't control."
However, he also explained the benefits of such media exposure:
"I see some positives with this particular team, just knowing that there's a lot of things that, in terms of when we do have success on the field, people are curious as to how that happens. I think they'll see exactly where that comes from."
"I know there's some guys on this team that garner interest, and I think that a platform for them to showcase who they are, and really the fan base to get to know the players and coaches better -- I can understand the value to the National Football League, to HBO, to NFL Films, and I can understand the value for the Miami Dolphins," he added.
While no exact release date has been announced, filming for Hard Knocks: Dolphins is set to begin on or after November 5, when the Miami Dolphins face the Kansas City Chiefs in Frankfurt.