DAVIE, Florida – The situation of the Miami Dolphins quarterback has been at the center of the news cycle early in the off-season, but when asked about it on Thursday, coach Brian Flores reaffirmed his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and expressed enthusiasm for his development at the beginning of year 2
“A lot of attention is paid to Tua, but I think he has improved a lot over the season. I am excited about the future with him,” Flores told ESPN. “He is a young, talented player, recovered from his hip. I think this is a great off-season for him. That jump from year 1 to year 2 will be important, as it is for all newbies.”
Last week, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier made it clear that there was no controversy at QB, saying, “Yours, we are very happy with him. He is our starting quarterback.”
Still, Tagovailoa has been the subject of questions, criticism and speculation after an irregular debut season.
As Dolphins coaches and executives delve into the off-season that includes an ongoing search for an offensive coordinator and an opportunity to train the Senior Bowl later this month, they hope to overcome the issues and move towards a future that includes Tagovailoa.
“Criticism comes with NFL territory across the board. Our team did a good job of ignoring these things. Anyone who saw the Dolphins this year saw that we were a very close group and I think that is still the case,” said Flores . “The idea that there is some kind of fracture is exaggerated. I thought there was a lot of support in the entire locker room.
“My message to the team was to ignore the noise and the people inside the building will tell you the truth. Without all the information, how do you determine what is going on?”
Dolphins’ decision makers still believe in Tagovailoa’s talent. Throughout the season, players revealed to ESPN differing opinions about whether Tagovailoa or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick gave them the best chance of winning. But several teammates have expressed support and optimism about Tagovailoa’s future publicly throughout the season.
Miami interviewed five candidates for the position of offensive coordinator, which became vacant after Chan Gailey resigned last week, and one of the top priorities for hiring will be to guide the development of Tagovailoa’s second year.
Dolphins running back coach Eric Studesville, Dolphins QB coach George Godsey, Los Angeles Chargers QB coach Pep Hamilton, Pittsburgh Steelers QB coach Matt Canada and San Francisco 49ers game coordinator, Mike McDaniel, were interviewed for the position.
Tagovailoa still has a lot to prove. He was not good enough in terms of relying on his eyes on the field and making plays outside the scheme – shown by one of the lowest percentages of passing over 20 yards this season.
But the Dolphins must and are likely to be patient in allowing Tagovailoa to improve and develop with complete offseason, more explosive offensive weapons and a player who builds an attack that best suits him. He played his best football when he was allowed to play more freely using time and spread packages.
Comparisons with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, who have had better statistical seasons in different situations, help to paint a doom over Tagovailoa, who completed 64% of his passes for 11 TDs and five interceptions with a 6.3-yard-long pedestrian. attempt. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen had a 53% completion rate, 10 TDs, 12 interceptions and 6.5 yards per attempt as a rookie. Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill admitted to “Inside the NFL” in December that he thought Patrick Mahomes was “rubbish” as a rookie. Both are among AFC’s best QBs now.
Dolphins clearly believe that development takes time and that Tagovailoa will be fine.
“We learned that he is healthy. He still has a lot of mobility. He needs it. In the Arizona game, he brings us back in the fourth period. He brought us back in the Kansas City game. He also didn’t play well in others. games. He had some bright and not so bright spots. That’s the life of a newbie, “said Flores. “If he continues to learn, study, stay healthy, become stronger, work on the feet and progression of the eyes and continue where he left off, I think we will be happy with his improvement.”