When the Miami Dolphins, and Head Coach Brian Flores, decided to hand the keys to the franchise over to rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa they did not think they would have a quarterbacking controversy on their hands just five starts into Tagovailoa’s NFL career.
Tagovailoa suffered a thumb injury in the Dolphins' week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos, and the rookie quarterback’s status is up in the air for Miami’s home game this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tagovailoa was drafted fifth overall in this past April’s NFL Draft and entered the league with sky-high expectations to be the catalyst for what has been a hapless Dolphins franchise in recent years.
Tagovailoa, and his inconsistent play, has been concerning. Tagovailoa was injury-prone in college and was injured in just his fifth career NFL start.
Tagovailoa has shown he cannot be counted on to stay healthy, at any point in either college or the pros, and this should cause anyone associated with the Dolphins to be terrified.
Flores has said on multiple occasions that Tagovailoa will be Miami’s starting quarterback when he is healthy, but that is a huge risk. The Dolphins are currently the No. 6 seed in the AFC, and if Tagovailoa is inserted into the lineup for the final five games, he may play the Dolphins right out of the playoffs.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, while inconsistent at times, has been playing very well for the Dolphins this season. Fitzpatrick has 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions on the year.
The question Flores faces in the homestretch of the 2020 NFL season is what should the Dolphins value more.
Should the team emphasize making the playoffs or seeing what they have in Tagovailoa? From Tagovailoa’s performance thus far it seems like these two things may be mutually exclusive.
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