Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards with 4,624 during the 2023 season. He also reached career highs with 29 touchdown passes and a 69.3 percent completion rate.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said there’s a reason for the former Alabama All-American’s statistical improvement – reps.

After Tagovailoa became Miami’s starting quarterback in the seventh game of his rookie season, the Dolphins needed to start another QB in 11 of their next 44 games. But in 2023, Tagovailoa was under center for all 18 of Miami’s contests and took 329 more snaps than he had in any of his previous three seasons.

“He had more reps than he’s ever had in his career because he played the full season,” McDaniel said during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. “In football, there are a lot of things that can happen. There are also a lot of things you can control. I think one of the best examples of taking control of your career is what Tua was able to do through training and being able to experience all the different things — I mean, shoot, experience a playoff game for the first time in his career.

“That was afforded to him because he was able to lead the team week in and week out. These are things that weren’t necessarily assumed he was capable of doing, but like most things Tua has done in his career, he’s recognized that and proved doubters wrong.”

Tagovailoa helmed the offense that gained the most yards in the NFL in the 2023 season, and the Dolphins also led the AFC in points.

RELATED: TUA TAGOVAILOA BREAKS BAMA BESTS BY JOE NAMATH, KEN STABLER

McDaniel said he’s working toward making Tagovailoa and the Miami offense even more potent in 2024.

“I look at every offseason, every year’s offense, as a constant evolution to your players and to what defenses are doing,” McDaniel said. “I’m never going to copy and paste and be like: This is what we did in 2023, and let’s work off of that. You’re ultimately trying to create some uncertainty and indecision with offensive scheme. Inherent in that is your constant evolution. I’m not really ever gloating on any successes of past. You’re more: What are we going to do with this set of players? We’re going to have some guys that are going to be in Year 3, some guys in Year 2 and some new guys. But, ultimately, what’s the best thing to serve them? And that’s naturally evolving.

“There’s never been one year from an offensive perspective that I can remember that we stayed exactly the same, particularly since I got started here in 2022. There will be exciting things that we do different, there’s going to be exciting things that we will evolve from, and there’s exciting things that we will build upon on the success of the first two years.”

The Dolphins will have Tagovailoa for at least one more season, and McDaniel “absolutely” hopes something gets done this offseason to ensure Miami keeps the quarterback beyond 2024.

When Tagovailoa joined the Dolphins from Alabama as the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he signed a four-year, $30.275 million contract. Like the rookie deals of all first-round draft picks, it contained a team option for a fifth season.

The Dolphins picked up that option on March 20, 2023, and it guaranteed Tagovailoa a $23.171 million payday for the 2024 season.

But he doesn’t have to play on that fifth-year option. Miami could sign the quarterback to a long-term contract extension this offseason.

“I think one of the cool things in this organization is how communicative and how well I work with (general manager) Chris Grier,” McDaniel said, “as well as how I can separate what my job is and what his job is and how we move forward. I’m very encouraged. Both Tua’s representation and our organization are hard at work. Those timelines are impossible to predict, and my main concern this offseason has been communicating what Tua needs from his head coach and his offensive coaching staff, which is: What things can we identify to continue the progression of your game the same way that we have since Day 1?

“My belief has always been strong from Day 1 in Tua. It’s stronger than it was the first day I met him, and that’s because of that relationship, where I’m focused, which is continuing to provide the coaching so he can continue to evolve his game as he has since the second that I started talking to him.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.