DAVIE, FLORIDA – AUGUST 18: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Tua Tagovailoa has been up and down in his first few practices with the Miami Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins have bet their next decade of success on former Alabama star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, as the Hawaiian southpaw will look to become the first Pro Bowl quarterback in Miami since Dan Marino.
While Dolphins fans were expecting him to break out in padded practices, his performance has been a bit shakier than that.
Head coach Brian Flores claimed that the No. 5 overall pick was uneven during his first few days of practice. While he was impressed with his arm talent, Flores was not a fan of some of the decisions he made throwing the ball.
Take a deep breath, Dolphins fans. This is why Ryan Fitzpatrick is still here.
Tua Tagovailoa will have time to improve upon mistakes he makes early
Even a healthy Tua would have likely needed to sit and watch for a little bit as a rookie. At Alabama, Tua was normally out of the game midway through the third quarter after he and a receiving corps led by two other first-rounders in Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs laid waste to opposing secondaries. When you factor in the hip injury and the shortened offseason, it’s not a disqualifying negative to say that the speed of the NFL might be a bit too much for him in Week 1.
Fitzpatrick, who has already acknowledged he is the “placeholder” for Tua, is the perfect veteran who can both impart knowledge to his protegee and perform decently enough on the field to win Miami some games. Now is the time for Tua to mess up, as Miami is giving him every opportunity to learn from it before eventually taking over the starting job when he’s ready.
Tagovailoa’s talent is clear to anyone with a functioning brain, but he needs a bit more polish before he’s ready for primetime. His struggles are nothing more than a rookie shaking off the rust.