INDIANAPOLIS — Tua Tagovailoa continues to make headlines in the NFL, not just for his prowess but for leading in a category that most quarterbacks might prefer to avoid. During a recent NFL Operations presentation at the scouting combine, a revealing chart highlighted quarterbacks who drew the most penalties in 2024, and once again, Tagovailoa topped the list in penalty ratio for the third year in a row.
According to the NFL, Tua drew a penalty on a remarkable 7.32 percent of the hits he endured. This is higher than anyone else, including Buffalo Bills’ standout, Josh Allen, who followed with a 6.73 percent penalty draw rate. These hits accounted for all sorts of scenarios – pass attempts, sacks, scrambles, and even designed runs.
Rounding out the top five, after Tua and Allen, we find Bryce Young at 5.45 percent, Cooper Rush with 4.88 percent, and Kyle Murray at 4.00 percent. These figures provide some insight into which quarterbacks are in the crosshairs of opposing defenses and require officials to reach for the yellow flag more often.
Interestingly, the NFL also noted that four starting quarterbacks made it through the season without provoking a single penalty. Among these penalty-free leaders are Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints, Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans, and Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos.
In 2024, Tua faced a variety of challenges on the field: he was sacked 21 times, hit 11 times while throwing, and registered 17 rushing attempts, though some of these were simply kneel-downs. Review of the 2024 gamebooks identified three significant penalties drawn by Tua, which occurred during notable matchups:
- A roughing the passer call against Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1
- Another against Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets in Week 14
- And a final one against Mario Edwards of the Houston Texans in Week 15
It’s essential to mention that while these penalties were flagged, two major hits that resulted in injuries for Tagovailoa last season, including one by Damar Hamlin in Week 2 and another by Edwards in the open field in Week 15, drew no penalties, nor were they deemed necessary by officiating standards.
Tagovailoa’s ability to draw penalties, while not always enviable, highlights both his resilience and the protective instincts he inspires in officials monitoring player safety on the field.
