Tua Tagovailoa left off ESPN's Top-10 QB rankings talking with execs and scouts

The Miami Dolphins and Chris Grier may be looking at what the media is saying about Tua Tagovailoa, or what they are not. Should we assume that is why the Dolphins won't pay him elite quarterback money?

A new ESPN Top-10 QB list doesn't have Tua on it. Despite playing 17 games last season, taking the team to the playoffs, and leading the NFL in passing yards (4,624), the Dolphins star is nowhere to be found in the Top 10. Is this a joke?

Tua Tagovailoa not listed in ESPN's Top 10 QB rankings is frustrating

If we believe that this entire list is solely based on what NFL executives and scouts are saying, then what are they actually seeing from the Miami QB? Or better yet, what are they not seeing? The Top 10 players on this list are Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff, and Dak Prescott. Most fans would agree with several of those quarterbacks being ranked above Tua, but you can argue that Herbert, Rodgers, and Stafford are not better than Miami's own quarterback.

Tagovailoa did receive an "honorable mention" nod, but that still doesn't give a good reason why he is excluded from the Top 10 - although it will give more fuel to Chris Grier's negotiations as a reason why he shouldn't be paid like a Top 5 QB.

""I feel like everybody knows what he is: A good player with some limitations," a veteran NFL personnel evaluator said. "He's a matchup nightmare some weeks. He's really good when he's in rhythm and gets the ball out in time. He can be hard to beat when he's throwing with touch and anticipation."

- Unknown NFL personnel evaluator to ESPN

Tagovailoa, despite the progress he made last season, is still not getting the recognition of an elite quarterback, and clearly, he isn't receiving that from his own general manager either. He may have to enter the 2024 season with something more to prove and if he does, the Dolphins are going to pay a lot more than they would have this year.