Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa struggling is not cause for concern
The sky is not falling for the Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa, it’s all o.k.
Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL draft, had a rough day during Ryan Fitzpatrick’s absence from Dolphins camp. However, do not be alarmed.
The Miami Dolphins and their fan base have huge expectations for rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Sometimes these expectations may cloud their judgment. As a fan base, Miami is starving for a quarterback that patience just does not seem like an option.
With the COVID-19 pandemic taking fans away from training camp, they are completely reliant on whatever information is provided to them by the beat writers. Starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick missed practice on Friday, giving more reps to Tagovailoa and third-year man Josh Rosen. By all accounts, neither one left the media very inspired.
Hope Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t gone for too long.
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) August 21, 2020
Today’s QB stats in 11-on-11:
ROSEN 6 of 14, 104 yards, 1 TD, INT, sacked three times.
TUA 6 of 15, 99 yards, 0 TDs, two INT, one near INT, sack.
More from Phin Phanatic
- Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
Obviously, the Dolphins would have loved for their potential long term starter in Tua Tagovailoa to light it up during training camp. However, it just is not practical to think that. He has not played football since November of 2019 and has had no off-season since everyone was quarantined. There was always going to an adjustment period for the young signal-caller.
His struggles may be a blessing in disguise. There were rumors circulating that head coach Brian Flores was in favor of starting whichever quarterback played better throughout camp. Whichever quarterback that started week one was going to be thrown behind an offensive line that has also not had time to gel. Take into account the level of defenses that Miami plays in the first two months, it is best that Tua stays on the bench.
Throwing Tua behind that offensive line is not in his best interest. It may even stunt his development. The best bet for Tua is to get these mistakes corrected in practice, not in games against quality opponents. He should continue to learn behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. Expecting him to light the world on fire during camp is unrealistic.
light. Related Story. Should Miami Dolphins fans be worried about Ryan Fitzpatrick? Not yet
In regards to his struggles, there is no reason to be concerned. He is probably going to continue to have up and down performances in training camp. Hell, he may even play poorly in his first couple of games. It’s what happens to rookies. Fans should not be looking too much into an off day at training camp. As a wise man once said, R-E-L-A-X.