The presence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the Miami Dolphins roster still hasn’t sunken in for many, yet. There have been no photos of Tagovailoa donning a Dolphins helmet or throwing the ball to his Miami teammates just yet — in part because of his rehab from November hip surgery and also in part because of the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. But Tagovailoa is indeed a Miami Dolphin and his status as a household name for casual college football fans will have interest in the Dolphins higher than it has been in recent years.
But how likely is Tagovailoa to convert that college superstardom into early NFL success? At least one analyst seems to be selling on the prospect of Tagovailoa claiming NFL hardware in year one — NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein ranked Tagovailoa 8th among 2020 candidates for the league’s Rookie of the Year honors.
If it is any consolation, it seems as though playing time is part of the question in Zierlein’s eyes.
“If Tagovailoa, coming off November hip surgery, proves to the Dolphins’ staff that he’s game-ready and wins the starting job for Week 1, then he’ll belong in the top three of this list. The reality, however, is that despite his potential, the Dolphins are unlikely to be in any type of hurry to rush him into action, with wily veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick still doing his thing in Miami. Tua could find his way into the starting lineup this season, but I think it’s unlikely to be early enough for him to win this award.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Quarterback Joe Burrow holds Zierlein’s top spot and is the only signal caller ahead of Tagovailoa on the list. Four running backs and two wide receivers also check in ahead of Tua — who will have as fascinating of a year one as any Dolphins rookie in recent memory. Will he play? When will he push Fitzpatrick? How will he acclimate to Chan Gailey’s offense? Can he stay healthy behind a remodeled offensive line? For now, there are nothing but questions. We’ll get our answers soon enough — and if Tua passes with flying colors, 8th very well may be way too low on his Rookie of the Year odds.