Miami Dolphins: Reporter makes big claim surrounding Tagovailoa and Bridgewater dynamic
NFL reporter Albert Breer has given his thoughts on what he thinks the Miami Dolphins will do with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season.
The Miami Dolphins are in something of a sticky situation with Tua Tagovailoa this upcoming season, as you could argue that it is a ‘make or break’ campaign for him.
Having taken him with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, with the likes of Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts still on the board, they seemed to make it pretty clear that he was going to be their quarterback of the future, but the way he has been treated so far has made it seem like he is anything but that.
He has started just 21 of the 33 games available, having to spend a lot of 2020 and 2021 swapping with Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the starting quarterback, and in the past year, reports have come out that not only were they pursuing Deshaun Watson as a possible trade option, but also bringing in Tom Brady out of retirement before his return to the Buccaneers.
Fox's Jay Glazer reiterates Dolphins were willing to trade three No. 1s and two No. 2s for Watson but "there was requirement for him to settle with 22 women in the lawsuit" and that obviously didn't happen.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 12, 2021
Tom Brady's retirement reversal reportedly almost came with a wild twist:
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 8, 2022
A return to the NFL, but as a player-owner with the Miami Dolphins.
Friday's edition of The Leadoff tells the story of the move that almost was 🎧 » https://t.co/up0jb7Kdxd pic.twitter.com/4Te2NNVcis
How do things look heading into 2022?
Things aren’t looking all that rosy for Tagovailoa at this moment in time either, with Teddy Bridgewater, another player who is well-established and a proven starter in the league, being brought in this past offseason as well.
Teddy Bridgewater with a 44-yard checkdown for a touchdown to Tim Patrick.
— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) November 7, 2021
Broncos with a two score lead over the Cowboys 👀 pic.twitter.com/v4P2gViNNK
And whilst it has been confirmed that Bridgewater will be the backup this season, given the way he has ben treated in the past, you can never rule out the possibility that the two could swap places, especially if Tagovailoa is perceived to be holding the team back.
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Might take something drastic
However speaking in his mailbag column for SI.com, Breer, when answering a fan’s question about how many games Bridgewater would start this season, seemed to hint that it would need to take something drastic for it to get to a stage where he was starting regularly:
“If you’re asking whether Tua Tagovailoa will be benched, I don’t think so. After the Deshaun Watson pursuit, and later the firing of Brian Flores, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’s focus pretty clearly moved to wanting to get a clear answer on whether the fifth pick in the 2020 draft, a guy Miami took over Herbert, could be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback.
“So barring injury (a tricky bet with Tagovailoa), I’m taking the under on Bridgewater starting four games. Chris Grier drafted Tagovailoa, Mike McDaniel was hired to work with Tagovailoa and, come hell or high water, Ross is going to find out about him this fall.”
So judging by Breer’s response, it seems to be that Tagavailoa will be given every opportunity to either succeed or fail this season and show the team what he’s capable of. You just have to wonder what’s on the horizon if he’s not able to impress.