Dolphins need Tua Tagovailoa but have to be ready if he isn’t the guy
By Brian Miller
Tua Tagovailoa is the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback but the team needs to be able to win despite him if they have a shot at 2022.
The Miami Dolphins’ top quarterback is still an anomaly. Some think they know who he is and others think they know who he isn’t. It’s a daily debate on social media and the media itself still either straddle the proverbial fence or just simply call him out.
Where exactly is Tua so far through camp? Forget the highlight reels that have been posted by fans and by the team and forget about the two consecutive days of practice that didn’t exactly go well for the quarterback this week. The truth is, there is a lot of work to be done between now and September 11th when the Dolphins play their first game.
On Saturday, we may get a look at Tua and some of the first team units. If we do, it will be a small sample size. If he succeeds, it won’t tell us anything more than we know today and if he fails, well stay off social media because having a good game or a bad game means little in the preseason.
The Dolphins need to be ready for him to not be the player they had hoped for. Especially if they plan to win. Tyreek Hill can hype him up but he has to perform on the field. He has to be a winner. If he can’t be, Mike McDaniel has to make a change at the position.
I’m not saying that Tua is going to fail. I don’t think he will but I also don’t see a sure-fire QB that can’t miss. I see a guy who has questions surrounding him. Statistically, Tua is impressive if you really break it down and he has done well with a 32nd-ranked offensive line and a hodgepodge of receivers that wouldn’t start on another NFL team.
That being said, he hasn’t proven that he can lead and that is a question that needs to be answered. He has the tools and he has the ability but he hasn’t put it on the field all at once for an entire game just yet and that is something else that needs to change.
The season is approaching quickly and Tua is the guy that will take Miami and lead them to wins or lead them to losses. If it is the latter, Miami will need to make a tough decision but one thing is for certain if McDaniel feels he needs to go to Bridgewater, then he needs to stick with Bridgewater. The Dolphins can no longer afford to play the back-and-forth game at QB.
Whether that happens or not will depend on Tua Tagovailoa.