Alec Ingold respects the minor details that play a major role in Tua Tagovailoa’s skillset

The San Francisco 49ers started the 2022 season with the highest-paid fullback in Kyle Juszczyk. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins, after signing Alec Ingold to a two-year deal early in free agency, entered the year with the second-highest-paid fullback.

Ingold wasted little time adjusting the Kyle Shanahan/Mike McDaniel offense, setting career highs in both receptions (15) and targets (23), ending the year as the third-best fullback in the league, according to the NFLPA “Players All Pro” teams.

During Super Bowl week, as players from across the league gathered in Phoenix, Ingold spoke with Bally Sports analyst and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Michael Silver about what it was like working with Tua Tagovailoa after three seasons with Derek Carr under center as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.

“What’s crazy is I didn’t understand how much Tua was doing,” Ingold said when asked if he knew how good the former first-round pick would be this season. “When you go and watch some of the game tape, I am watching my stuff and focusing on the offense. Coach McDaniel would come in the next day and break down the film.”

McDaniel noted how Tagovailoa manipulates the defense with his eyes and can make things happen with his feet — going as far as to say — “he’s just inviting football right now.”

“That’s where you start to see the intricacies, the details that Tua is able to do for us when he was playing ball,” Ingold said. “It was really cool.”