With the fifth pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins hoped they were getting their franchise quarterback with the selection of Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa. While the former first-rounder has posted winning records whenever he's been on the field, it still feels like Tagovailoa could be better in his role of starting quarterback for the Dolphins.
Tagovailoa's biggest problem since taking over in 2020 is that he's had a difficult time beating top-tier opponents. It's one thing to beat up on teams worse than you (and for what it's worth, that's what the better teams should be doing) but Tua and the Dolphins continue to struggle against teams with winning records. He's also had a difficult time staying healthy, only appearing in every regular season game just once in his career (2023).
Former NFL linebacker and current analyst Emmanuel Acho and Marisa Marino of Dolphins Talk discussed Tagovailoa's need to stay healthy and play better against quality opponents. During this discussion, Acho complimented Tua's mental game but still addressed that it's always a make-or-break year for the Dolphins signal-caller.
"Tua is a baller cerebally. I do not think there's a better processor in the NFL than Tua Tagovailoa... Pat [Mahomes] included, Josh [Allen] included, Lamar [Jackson] included. I do not think there's a quarterback that plays on better time than Tua," Acho said. "This was a make-or-break year for Tua, but two years ago was a make-or-break year for Tua."
It feels like every year is a make-or-break year for Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins rewarded Tagovailoa last offseason with a four-year extension worth $212 million tying him to the organization through 2028. There is a potential out on the deal in 2027 so as much as Acho and everyone else wants to keep saying this is a "make-or-break year" for the Miami star, the fact of the matter is that Tua is probably sticking around for the foreseeable future.
Some teams (like the Broncos with Russell Wilson, for instance) opted to just eat all of the dead money on their quarterback's deal but in that main instance, Wilson had been laughably bad in Denver. Tua hasn't been bad, just inconsistent, especially against better teams in the league.
Dolphins fans know that every year seems to be a crucial year for Tagovailoa but with the team likely not moving on from him anytime soon due to his meaty extension, perhaps the term "make-or-break year" should stop be used when it comes to Tua Tagovailoa.