The Miami Dolphins were able to secure their long-term future under center with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. If it were up to Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, he would be starting Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding Miami's plans for Tagovailoa. Arians feels there is not much to be gained by having a quarterback stay on the sidelines, via JoeBucsFan.com:
“I don't think you learn anything holding a clipboard. You know, I had Peyton Manning his first year, Andrew Luck his first year, Ben [Roethlisberger] was one of those guys that went in by accident because Tommy Maddox got hurt. You miss all the practice reps, you miss the game reps. I don't know what you learn holding a clipboard watching.”
Arians added that as long as Tagovailoa is healthy it would be in the Dolphins' best interest to kickstart the process of him becoming a starter.
“I think it all depends on his health; if he's healthy I'm playing him,” Arians said.
Arians' comments are certainly intriguing since they are such a stark contrast to the newfound sense of patience that has taken place throughout the league. This approach paid huge dividends for the Kansas City Chiefs with quarterback Patrick Mahomes after serving as a backup his rookie year. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers also plan to follow the same route by having Jordan Love learn from Aaron Rodgers under center.
Although the Dolphins may have the option of taking their time in developing Tagovailoa with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick around, Arians clearly feels the rookie should be given the opportunity to prove himself. Of course, it remains to be seen if his health is still a major concern heading into the 2020 campaign.
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