Miami Dolphins veterans surprised but excited about Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins made a quarterback change to Tua Tagovailoa and now we are getting more reactions.

When the Miami Dolphins elevated Tua Tagovailoa to the starting QB job fans went crazy but how the players reacted is maybe more important.

With Tua Tagovailoa the new starting quarterback we can understand that fans are really excited but inside the locker room, where Ryan Fitzpatrick is a big influence for rookie and veterans alike, that reaction is something we should be looking at.

I would have to imagine that the players are indeed surprised by this move. Fitzpatrick hasn’t played horribly but let’s understand that despite having two good games in a row, he was far from great against the Jets, especially in the 2nd half where he only completed a few of his nine attempts and one was an interception.

Fitzpatrick is a great leader but he can do that from the sidelines as well. The switch to Tagovailoa is surprising because the Dolphins are in the hunt for a playoff spot but this move does not indicate that Brian Flores is phoning in the season. It might be quite the opposite.

Flores has stated in the past that he would always play the players that give the team the best chance to win and if he believes that Tua gives them that opportunity, then the players need to be behind it. By the sounds of it, they already are.

There is little question that Tua Tagovailoa is well-liked. He has a charismatic demeanor and very humble but now we will get to see if he carries that burning fire to ignite his teammates, that call to action we haven’t really seen in Dolphins starters for some 15 years.