Dolphins remain more faithful to Tua Tagovailoa than a Nicolas Sparks novel

The Miami Dolphins have made it very clear that they still believe in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa based on their recent decision.

Last season, the Miami Dolphins made some huge moves, like trading for wide receiver Tyreek Hill and signing offensive tackle Terron Armstead. Those moves, along with the hiring of former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as head coach, meant the team was ready to see what quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could do.

In 2022, when he’s healthy, Tagovailoa has shown he can be a great quarterback at the NFL level. The only concern was that he had two concussions.

Even with the injuries, the Dolphins still have a lot of confidence in Tagovailoa, based on their latest move.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Dolphins have optioned Tagovailoa for a fifth year, which will keep him under contract through the 2024 season. With the move, Tagovailoa will secure $23.2 million for the 2024 campaign.

Sources said the #Dolphins have informed QB Tua Tagovailoa that they are picking up the fifth-year option. Once implemented, Tagovailoa will secure $23.2 million for the 2024 season.

Another indicator is that Miami is confident Tagovailoa will be their quarterback for the long haul. pic.twitter.com/lZtSQxrbgQ

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 10, 2020

The Dolphins are picking up the Tua Tagovailoa option for the fifth year

The Dolphins used their fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft over Tagovailoa, and it was a ridiculous move. After all, he was recovering from hip surgery at the time. In the first two years, Tagovailoa didn’t light up the NFL world, compared to fellow quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert.

But in 2022, things look different. Tagovailoa was playing at the level football fans saw when he was the starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. From a 469-yard, six-touchdown performance in Miami’s 42-38 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, to a 382-yard, three-touchdown performance in the Dolphins 31-27 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 8.

On the year, Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight touchdowns while completing 64.8 percent of his passes.

Tagovailoa has been placed in concussion protocol three times this past season. In Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills, he tripped while trying to stand up after hitting the back of his head on the turf. The following week, Tagovailoa had to walk off the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati with a confirmed concussion. Then, during the team’s Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers, Tagovailoa suffered another concussion that was not confirmed until days after the game. This forced him to miss the rest of the season.

Just days before the start of the new league year, the Dolphins let the NFL world know they still had the utmost faith in Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback.

Source link