Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill connect for long touchdown at Pro Bowl

Sometimes, the Miami Dolphins’ aerial duo of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill make 11-on-11 tackle football look like flag.

The result when dropping the NFL’s passing and receiving leaders in 2023 into an actual flag football game was predictably the same.

Tagovailoa and Hill connected on a 45-yard touchdown pass to start the scoring in Sunday’s Pro Bowl flag football game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Two of Miami’s six Pro Bowl selections hooked up on the second play of the game, with Hill running a deep post over the middle and speeding by an NFC defense that wasn’t exceptionally interested in chasing him. Hill flashed the peace sign, his patented celebration, as he galloped into the end zone on the 50-yard field.

“Me and Tua have a special connection out here, ” Hill told the ESPN broadcast in a sideline interview, “so we just thought that we’ll bring it here to Orlando and show the great people here what it’s all about.”

The AFC started with an all-Dolphins backfield, with running back Raheem Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold flanking Tagovailoa. The Miami quarterback threw to Mostert on the opening play, but he dropped the short pass, noting the the ball was in the sun.

Later in the first quarter, Tagovailoa threw a short 5-yard touchdown to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Along with Tagovailoa, Hill, Mostert and Ingold, the Dolphins had cornerback Jalen Ramsey participating. He comically chased Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the backfield as he blitzed one play in the first half.

While not taking part in flag football, Miami left tackle Terron Armstead was part of the linemen-friendly “Move the Chains”  and “Gridiron Gauntlet” events at the Pro Bowl Games.

Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker was also offensive coordinator for the AFC flag football team.

Tagovailoa, participating in his first Pro Bowl, led all quarterbacks with 4,624 passing yards in the 2023 regular season, and Hill, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, was the NFL’s leading receiver with 1,799 yards.

The NFC won the Pro Bowl Games 64-59 with a late pass to the end zone from Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud falling incomplete.