Tua Tagovailoa is one of the top rated QBs through first 16 starts
By Brian Miller
Nothing will divide Miami Dolphins fans like a debate on how good or bad Tua Tagovailoa is, could be, will be, or won’t be. It’s as bad as politics.
Social media can sometimes be a fun place to interact with people you have never met or stay in touch with friends you don’t see too often. It is also a place where people can hide behind a screen name and act stupidly.
When it comes to sports, SM is the spot for a lot of debate and it doesn’t just end when someone starts to play well. Take Tua Tagovailoa. After missing time in 2020 and missing games with broken bones this year, Tags has finally reached his 16th start and that has a lot of people both fans and media alike comparing him to other starters.
The CBS Twitter account thought it would be a good idea to compare Tagovailoa to Kyler Murray. Murray of course is a rising NFL star and the media love him, for now. Comparing the two was a bit surprising.
Passing yards
- Tua – 3,515
- Murray – 3,22
TD/INT
- Tua – 21/11
- Murray – 20/12
Completion %
- Tua – 67
- Murray – 64.4
Passer rating
- Tua – 90.5
- Murray 87.4
Record
- Tua 9-7
- Murray – 5-10-1
The numbers are pretty close and both had pretty good first years when it was all said and done. The NFL is a long game though and Tua has a ways to go before the media stop complaining about him needing to be replaced.
Compared to other top QBs, Tua stacks up well with them as well. His rating is good enough for 10th among many of today’s top QBs including the first 16 starts of Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers.
His completion percentage ranks just behind Dak Prescott while his TD totals are good enough for a tie at 12 alongside Roethlisberger and Derek Carr. His INT rate ranks him 5th and he ranks 14th in yardage according to the Miami Herald.
It will be interesting to see how Tua’s development continues moving forward but his numbers are consistent with a lot of top first year QBs. What happens next is up to him but he continues to get better and that can only help to quiet down some of the naysayers.