Lamar Jackson has had better days. With the news that the Baltimore Ravens were using the non-exclusive franchise tag on the 26-year-old quarterback, there was an expectation that a healthy market could follow. The Miami Dolphins are just the latest team to throw their hat out of the ring in the Jackson sweepstakes- which has essentially been nonexistent thus far.
Despite outside speculation, the Dolphins are again backing Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback and passing on the 2019 MVP, per ESPN's Jeff Darlington.
“The Dolphins will not be pursuing Lamar Jackson or any other starting QBs this off-season, multiple team sources tell me,” Darlington Tweeted. “As one source said, ‘“Mike {McDaniel} fully believes Tua is the perfect fit for his system.”'
Miami finds itself in quite the tough spot regarding a potential courtship of Jackson. Under head coach Mike McDaniel, Tagovailoa put together his best season since entering the NFL in 2020. He threw for 3.458 yards and 25 touchdowns (eight interceptions) in just 13 games last season. He boasted the best passer rating in the league at 105.5.
Now, the addition of Tyreek Hill certainly played a big role in the third-year QB's significant improvement, but there is plenty of reason to believe that Tagovailoa could continue to succeed in McDaniel's pass-friendly offense. The major concern, though, is the multiple concussions he sustained in such a short period of time last year.
The Dolphins came under fire by the public for starting the 25-year-old less than a week after he was visibly wobbly on the field following a big hit. He suffered a concussion on Thursday Night Football on Week 4 and was stretchered off the field and transported to the hospital. He returned to action three weeks later.
Miami's front office and coaching staff seemingly feel confident enough in Tagovailoa's long-term health to ride with him for next season. That means Lamar Jackson will have to find his mega contract somewhere else.
As more teams like the Dolphins opt to save costs and stay in-house for their QB needs, the Ravens' spirits will only improve, while Jackson's likely worsen.
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