NFL
By: Rick
The wait is finally over. Tua Tagovailoa has a new contract with the Miami Dolphins and it couldn’t come soon enough. With limited participation in the early stages of camp, Tua and the Dolphins got a deal done making him the highest-paid player in Dolphins history, but is it the right move?
If the Dolphins believe Tua is their guy, and he’s proven he can be, then this was a no-brainer. Skeptics will say “he can’t beat good teams”, “he can’t win on the road” or “he can’t win in December.” Just like they said he can’t throw the deep ball, can’t stay healthy for a full season, can’t do this, and can’t do that. Then he goes out and does those things. What’s next? “He can’t win a playoff game” or “He’s good, but won’t win the Dolphins a Super Bowl.”
Then if he does that? “Well he won’t win as many as Mahomes or Brady.”
Before you even go that route, when was the last time a Miami Dolphins quarterback led the NFL in passing yards or even passer rating? To find back-to-back winning seasons you have to go all the way back twenty years to 2002-2003 with Jay Fiedler with Dave Wandstedt at the helm.
Better yet, list the quarterbacks who have thrown for 8,000 yards, 50 TDs, and a 100 passer rating in the past two seasons (combined). Ready? Here’s the list:
- Tua Tagovailoa
- END OF LIST
The Dolphins haven’t had this kind of playmaker under center since the days of Dan Marino. Tua has led comebacks against good teams as he did against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore in 2022. He has beat good teams in December on Christmas Even against the Dallas Cowboys who would go on to finish 12-5.
Tua is an elite-level talent. This isn’t Franchise Mode on Madden. Quarterbacks with Tua’s skill set are on good teams already who aren’t willing to part with them, or not available. The ones coming out of college aren’t typically pro-ready.
When it’s all said and done, the Miami Dolphins and HC Mike McDaniel need to figure out how to win in December, keep their franchise QB healthy, win on the road, and beat good teams. The talent level is there with Tua Tagovailoa. The fault and responsibility fall on the entire team to get over that hump. Anyone saying Tua doesn’t deserve to get paid clearly didn’t have to suffer through the Joey Harrington and Cleo Lemon days. Without question, Tua Tagovailoa does have to continue to improve but to say that he doesn’t deserve that kind of contract is laughable.
