Former Alabama star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been a household name since his dominant second-half performance against UGA in the 2017 National Championship, a strong showing that earned him the starting role for the rest of his time under Nick Saban. Now, a member of the Miami Dolphins, Tagovailoa patiently awaits his turn to take over the struggling AFC East team in South Florida.
For a while, in 2019, ‘Tank for Tua’ was a trendy saying in the NFL. It was almost a given that the Hawaii-native quarterback would be the No. 1 overall pick. So much so, that I wrote a weekly column dicsussing which three NFL teams were the most likely to lock up the first overall pick, and therefore, secure Tagovailoa.
Joe Burrow tore up the scene, and a mid-November, season-ending hip injury to Tagovailoa caused a bit of a shake up in the 2020 quarterback class.
Burrow went No. 1 to the Bengals, and Tagovailoa found a home in Miami after being selected with the No. 5 pick.
Tagovailoa’s health was a concern for front offices and fans, many of whom are most likely not trained, professional sports medicine personnel. Nonetheless, the Dolphins were content with the reports the received and the work he had done post-injury.
Veteran traveling quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick is on his final season of a two-year contract with Miami. Fitzpatrick typically assumes the role of ‘transitional quarterback,’ as a team works through the process of finding their next franchise signal caller.
With three potentially start-worthy quarterbacks in training camp prior to the beginning of the 2020 season, many speculated where Tagovailoa would sit on the depth chart. Fitzpatrick is the incumbent starter, but 2018 first-rounder Josh Rosen was surely primed for a breakout season, right?
The answer was finally given when the Dolphins released Rosen, who now sits under Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, and Fitzpatrick was named the starter.
Tua Tagovailoa is QB2 for the Miami Dolphins.
Now, as a quarter of the season is in the books and Week 5 approaches, we ask: Where is Tua, and why haven’t we seen him?
Well, if you’ve sat down and watched any Dolphins games this season, you know the answer to both of the aforementioned questions: He’s on the sidelines, and we’ve seen plenty of him, just not on the field.
There must be a stat for the most amount of air-time during a game without seeing a single in-game snap. If there is, Tagovailoa likely owns the record.
However, there is a valid reason as to why he hasn’t gotten to see any action.
No, they are not tanking.
For starters, the 2020 NFL season, much like other professional sports this year, is weird. Numerous players are sitting out, teams having coronavirus outbreaks and the Bears and Browns are both above .500.
The Dolphins currently have a record of 1-3, and are 0-2 in divisional play. The latest NFL Power Rankings list them at No. 24 with a flat 5.0% chance to make the playoffs.
If there’s little-to-no chance of a Super Bowl appearance, or even a trip to the playoffs, why risk injuring the star that is supposed to be the second-coming of Dan Marino on a freak accident? To get some experience? Coaches and players have shared their enthusiasm about Tagovailoa and what he’s done in practice.
Despite having the support of the team, it’s clear those feelings are aimed toward his future with the franchise.
“As far as [Tagovailoa] being a starter, we just don’t feel like he’s ready there just yet,” Flores said. “Right now, we feel like Fitz gives us the best chance to win.”
Fitzpatrick might not be the problem for the Dolphins, he currently is ranked No. 9 in the NFL for QBR with a 74.9 rating. So, throwing Tagovailoa in and hoping for a different result might leave you scratching your head.
Let him continue to learn under Fitzpatrick. Often times, when the camera pans to Tagovailoa on the sidelines, he is glued to a tablet or talking to Fitzpatrick and other members of the offense.
He is healthy and he can play. Will he see a few snaps before the end of the season? Most likely. However, it must be acknowledged that making him the starting quarterback won’t help the Dolphins, only hurt them for the time being.
They have two first-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft, and two second-round picks, courtesy of the Houston Texans, who are not looking all too great.
This means the Dolphins are slated to have two picks in the top 15, potentially the top 10, assuming the trends for both teams remain consistent.
Dolphins fans would then enter the 2021 season with full confidence in knowing Tua Tagovailoa will be the starting quarterback and the ‘rebuild’ just about complete after adding some additional protection and offensive help through the draft.
Having Tua Tagovailoa on your team can be exciting, just ask any Alabama fan. However, they only had him for three years, Dolphins fans could have him for over a decade. Maybe patience is all that’s needed for a long-lasting career that can help bring Miami back.