Tua Tagovailoa trains for the first time. This is what he looked like

It’s been 43 days since Tua Tagovailoa last practiced.

And from the moment coach Mike McDaniel announced his franchise quarterback’s return Monday, all eyes would be on Tagovailoa when he suited up Wednesday.

For someone who hasn’t practiced since September 10, Tagovailoa looked sharp, hitting Tyreek Hill on a breaking route at least once during the media availability portion of practice. It was clear that his presence gave a boost of energy to the team.

Tagovailoa’s return “was so beautiful it almost made me cry today,” Hill said. “Just get him in line.” Ask him to call the parts. Ask him to lead the offensive. Just hearing his voice – I know it sounds crazy – but he’s an integral part of this team.

“He’s our guy,” Raheem Mostert said. “It was good to see him again. I felt like today’s offense was all about the details.

Tagovailoa, who was placed on injured reserve days after suffering a concussion in a Sept. 12 game against the Buffalo Bills, will look to breathe some life into the team’s lowest-scoring offense. NFL points. He’s not expected to be a savior of the 2-4 Dolphins — McDaniel made that abundantly clear Monday — but it was impossible to ignore the energy the franchise quarterback brought to training.

“He brought his own energy,” Robert Jones said. “That’s the one thing about Tua: he comes with energy and pushes everyone to do their best. The return of a leader is always different.

“Great energy,” Jonnu Smith said when asked about the intangibles Tagovailoa brings to the field. “The thing about Tua is that’s the kind of guy he is. The energy that it will release and radiate will be contagious.

Smith added that Tagovailoa brought great energy even before his return, which goes along with what McDaniel said about the quarterback.

“He’s really shown his maturity that continues to evolve, and I think he’s found a way to be even more of a leader just by investing in his teammates when he can’t play,” McDaniel said, adding more late that he “makes sure his teammates know he’s there with them and he follows everything that’s going on within the offense and talks to each position group about some things he sees that aren’t up to par, whether it’s a Monday movie, review or Wednesday practice, he hasn’t taken a day off.

Yet finding him again was just different.

“He never backs down from humility and he’s always at his best when these things happen,” Mostert said, adding that his respect for Tagovailoa has grown immensely throughout the quarterback’s recovery process. “He takes ownership of his leadership and his profession and is proud of it. Getting him back to get the guy we trust and is a key part of this offense is very critical for the organization.

His return, however, was not without some inside jokes. Hill and Mostert both stressed the importance of sliding to their franchise quarterback.

“I tell him all the time,” Hill joked. “When we played the Colts, did you see the fans started cheering for Anthony Richardson when he slipped? Our fans need to cheer for Tua and make him slide.

Mostert added: “We have been talking since his injury. I told him, “Hey! You have to work on gliding. We all joke and laugh, but seriously, he knows he needs to protect himself a little better and that going forward, only he can control these things.

As has been written previously, Tagovailoa’s return won’t solve the Dolphins’ other offensive problems. The offensive line must eliminate mental errors. There are still questions in the running backs room regarding run delineation. And the offense, as a whole, needs to find the balance between improving the rushing attack and passing the ball. Hill, however, believes Tagovailoa’s return will be what turns around the Dolphins’ 2-4 season.

“Just having Tua will bring us back,” Hill said. “He is an important part of this team. He’s the franchise. Anyone who doesn’t see that or doesn’t believe in it, go to another team.