Tua Tagovailoa's cornrows, explained: Dolphins QB reveals reason behind new braided haircut

Bryan Murphy

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Tua Tagovailoa's cornrows, explained: Dolphins QB reveals reason behind new braided haircut image

In the words of Bradley Chubb, "The Uce is loose" down in Miami. 

Tua Tagovailoa hasn't changed his look much since entering the league in 2020. The Dolphins QB has rocked the same hairstyle since he was drafted No. 6 overall out of Alabama — until now. 

Ahead of the team's Week 11 contest against the Raiders, Tagovailoa unveiled a brand new hairdo, featuring braided cornrows instead of his typical thick style. 

"It was my call," Tagovailoa said. "My hair was outrageous. So I thought if I didn't braid it or if it wasn't long enough, I'd just cut it. So I thought I'd get it braided."

MORE: Dolphins 'Hard Knocks in Season' schedule

Miami is 1-0 with the signal-caller's latest cut after the Dolphins defeated the Raiders last week. Up next for Tagovailoa and Co. is a Black Friday game at the Jets. 

Here is more on Tagovailoa's cornrows and why he went with a fresh look.

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Tua Tagovailoa cornrows

Tagovailoa initially debuted the cornrows at the Wednesday press conference before Week 11. It was met with plenty of questions from the media, including where he got the inspiration from. 

He was asked if the iconic cornrows from 76ers legend Allen Iverson had anything to do with the haircut, but Tagovailoa shot down that idea. He also wasn't seeing the comparisons some of the reporters had between him and rapper Drake.

"No AI, No AI inspiration," Tua said. "But dude's a baller. Got a lot of respect for him. It was just one of those things where my hair was just wild. And I wanted to see what I could do with it. If I couldn't do anything, I was gonna chop it off.

"But Drake, I don't know if I look like Drake. Drake?"

His teammates were asked for their feedback on the new 'do as well, and it received positive reviews. Both linebackers Bradley Chubb and Jerome Baker admitted that they didn't believe Tagovailoa at first, but were impressed with the finished product. 

"I love it," Chubb said. "He told me he was going to do it, but I didn't believe him and then he came in the next day with the cornrows. The Uce is loose."

The new haircut comes at a perfect time. The Dolphins were selected as the team for the 2023 edition of "Hard Knocks in Season." Fans of the show did not have to waste any time seeing Tagovailoa's fresh look, as the cornrows were featured in the first episode. 

Most importantly, Tagovailoa confirmed that his wife, Annah, approves of the new look. 

Tua Tagovailoa haircut before and after

The cornrows are mesmerizing, so it's understandable if people forget what the old look was like for Tagovailoa. 

Here is a look at the haircut the Miami QB was working with before the fresh styling:

Out with the old, and in with the new: 

Tagovailoa has yet to say just how long he will go with the cornrows, but it's a good look for the Hawaiian. 

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Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.