Former National Championship-winning Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Despite a hip fracture that prematurely ended his college career, Tagovailoa was projected to be an NFL starter sooner rather than later after being selected with a top pick.
After making his NFL debut on a blowout win over the New York Jets, the Dolphins are set to pull the trigger on ‘Tua Time’. Tagovailoa will be inserted as the Dolphins starter in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams in Miami. The Dolphins have a bye for Week 7, giving Miami ample time to get Tagovailoa comfortable with the offense.
The Dolphins are 3-3 through six weeks; a record that puts them right in the thick of both the AFC East race and the eventual AFC Wild Card race. Ryan Fitzpatrick has had some ups-and-downs, but has mostly played pretty well for Miami; winners of three of their their last four games. In that regard, it feels odd to bench Fitzpatrick while he has the Dolphins playing well. However, Miami must feel they can keep their winning ways going with Tagovailoa at quarterback.
After facing Los Angeles in Week 8, the Dolphins face the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos. While Miami currently holds a better record than two of those three teams, it certainly won’t be an easy start to Tagovailoa’s professional career. After that, the competition gets softer as Miami faces the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.
What record will the Dolphins ultimately finish with? Can Tagovailoa shine in his rookie season, or will he face growing pains along the way? If Miami’s winning streak comes to an end, will fans be upset with the quarterback change, or embracing of their future quarterback as he learns and develops?
