DAVIE, Florida – The Miami Dolphins quarterback situation has been at the center of the news cycle early in the offseason, but when asked about it Thursday, coach Brian Flores reaffirmed his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and expressed his enthusiasm for its development towards Year 2.
“He pays a lot of attention to Tua, but I thought he improved a lot throughout the season. I’m excited about the future with him,” Flores told ESPN. “He’s a young, talented player who has bounced off his hip. I think it’s a low season for him. That jump from year 1 to year 2 will be important, as it is for all newcomers.”
Last week, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier made it clear that there was no QB controversy, saying, “Yours, we’re very happy. He’s our starting quarterback.”
Still, Tagovailoa has been the subject of questions, criticism and speculation after an uneven debut season.
As Dolphins coaches and executives delve into a low season that includes an ongoing search for offensive coordinators and the opportunity to coach the Senior Bowl later this month, they look forward to passing questions and moving forward into a future that include Tagovailoa.
“Criticism comes with NFL territory in general. Our team did a good job ignoring these things. Anyone who has seen the Dolphins this year saw that we were a very close-knit group and I think that’s still the case.” said Flores. “The idea that there is some kind of fracture is overwhelmed. I thought there was a lot of support throughout the locker room.
“My message to the team has been to ignore the noise and the people inside the building will tell you the truth. Without all the information, how do you decide what happens?”
The Dolphins’ decision-makers still believe in Tagovailoa’s talent. Throughout the season, players revealed to ESPN different opinions on whether Tagovailoa or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick gave them the best chance to win. But several teammates have publicly expressed their support and optimism about Tagovailoa’s future throughout the season.
Miami has interviewed five candidates for its offensive coordinator job, which was left vacant after Chan Gailey’s resignation last week, and one of the top priorities for hiring will be Tagovailoa’s second-year development guide.
Dolphins coach Eric Studesville, Dolphins QB coach George Godsey, Los Angeles Chargers coach Pep Hamilton, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Matt Canada, and the San Francisco 49ers game coordinator, Mike McDaniel, have been interviewed for work.
Tagovailoa still has a lot to prove. He wasn’t good enough in terms of relying on his eyes down and making plays off the plan, as evidenced by one of the lowest completion percentages of more than 20-yard passes this season.
But the Dolphins should be patient and probably by allowing Tagovailoa to improve and develop with a full-season run, more explosive offensive weapons and a game player who builds an offense that best suits him. He played his best football when he was allowed to play more freely using tempo and extending packs.
Comparisons with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, who had better statistical seasons in different situations, help paint a situation of destruction and sadness over Tagovailoa, who completed 64% of his passes for 11 passing TDs and five interceptions with a pedestrian of 6.3 yards per attempt. Buffal Bills Josh Allen had 53% performance, 10 TDs, 12 interceptions and 6.5 yards per try as a rookie. Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill admitted to “Inside the NFL” in December that he believed Patrick Mahomes was “trashy” as a rookie. Both are now among the best QBs in the AFC.
The Dolphins clearly believe that development takes time and Tagovailoa will be fine.
“We’ve learned he’s healthy. He still has a lot of mobility. He’s accurate. He’s back in the Arizona game in the fourth quarter. He’s back in the Kansas City game. He didn’t play as well in other games either. brilliant. That’s the life of a rookie, ”Flores said. “If you keep learning, studying, staying healthy, getting stronger, working your feet and your eye progression and picking up where you left off, I think we’ll be happy with your improvement.”