Tua Tagovailoa debuts a new, nearly unrecognizable look

“There’s no way that’s him,” another person wrote.

“Guy posing with Tua looks more like Tua than this ‘Tua’ does,” one X user added.

Giselle Espinales — a sports reporter for NBC 6, who posted the video — acknowledged the confusion, and confirmed that she was at the event and it was indeed Tagovailoa.

“You guys are too much with the comments,” she wrote. “Trust me, it’s Tua. Just clean-shaven. He was great with fans taking pics and signing autographs.”

Tagovailoa seemed thinner to some, while others expressed that his new look made him look years younger.

“Lookin slim,” someone wrote.

Tagovailoa slimmed down recently so he could enhance his mobility on the field, according to his trainer Nick Hicks, co-owner and director of performance at Per4orm, according to Sports Illustrated.

The quarterback lost 10-15 pounds and is down to 220 pounds, NFL Network reported earlier this month, adding that he’s at his ideal playing weight this year.

It came after Tagovailoa bulked up in the 2023 offseason in order to sustain a 17-game season after a series of scary concussions.

Tagovailoa donned a full beard and a shorter hairstyle last season when he led the league with 4,624 passing yards while helping the Dolphins to an 11-5 record.  

The fourth-year quarterback attended the Dolphins’ organized team activities (OTAs) earlier this week, and showed off his deep passing prowess during a 7-on-7 drill when he connected with rookie seventh-round pick Tahj Washington on a long touchdown pass.

Miami and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle agreed on a three-year, $84.75 million contract extension that includes $76 million guaranteed, WME Football, his agency confirmed on Thursday.