Tua Tagovailoa may not have played a single snap for the Miami Dolphins since being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but the quarterback that he’s shadowing, Ryan Fitzpatrick, has already prepared him well for when he becomes the team’s signal-caller. 

“I probably talk more on the bench than I normally would in-between series,” Fitzpatrick told ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe. “I want him to kind of understand what I’m seeing and to be able to ask questions even if it is in a game-like setting. . . . It seemed like he saw the game pretty decent from the sidelines in terms of the stuff that we were talking about and the questions he was asking. It was good. It was a good start just to build on that communication now, just being another set of eyes for me to be able to trust.”

Tagovailoa, who led Alabama to the College Football Playoff national title two years ago, is currently backing up Fitzpatrick on the sidelines when the Dolphins play. Four games into the season and the 37-year old quarterback has completed 69 percent of his passes and has passed for 994 yards and four touchdowns. However, he has also tallied five interceptions and the Dolphins are won just one of their first four games. 

But despite calls for Tagovailoa to be the team’s starter, head coach Brian Flores will wait for the 22-year-old to develop as a quarterback and learn from Fitzpatrick until his time comes. 

“As far as [Tagovailoa] being a starter, we just don't feel like he's ready there just yet,” Flores told Wolfe. “Right now, we feel like Fitz gives us the best chance to win.”

But while Fitzpatrick remains under center for Miami for the time being, he has already seen a lot of positives from Tagovailoa. 

The Dolphins return to action on Sunday to face the San Francisco 49ers and will look to bag their second win of the season.