Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has had a rocky start to the beginning of his professional career with the Miami Dolphins.
After being second string on the depth chart to start the 2020 season, Tagovailoa was the starter for nine games. He completed 64.1% of passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Miami failed to earn a playoff berth, and Tagovailoa went 6-3 as a starter.
He has been compared to two other rookie quarterbacks, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, but he did not perform at as high of a level.
The Dolphins are only a few pieces away from being regular playoff participants, one of which is a solid quarterback.
Miami has been cited as one of the teams expected to make a run for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Rumors on that situation have come and gone with little information available.
However, the Dolphins also are being linked as a potential trade partner with the Seattle Seahawks for Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson.
There hasn’t been any official word on Wilson being on the trading block, but rumors point to him being discontented over the current state of the team.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports listed the top 13 potential destinations for Wilson; the top landing spot is Tagovailoa’s current home of Miami.
“There’s a reason the Dolphins have been linked to Deshaun Watson, and there’s at least a small reason coach Brian Flores felt the need to use Ryan Fitzpatrick as a “relief pitcher” for rookie Tua Tagovailoa in 2020,” writes Benjamin. “Miami isn’t yet sold on its long-term QB plans. The ‘Phins have plenty of money. They have lots of draft capital. They have Tua to dangle in trade talks. Wilson, meanwhile, seems like a safe bet to sign off on a potential move to Miami, which is a far cry from Seattle in terms of weather but also boasts a roster ready to compete in 2021 and beyond. Can’t you just see Russ in the Dolphins jersey now?”