Although Tua Tagovailoa has yet to absolutely show that he is the franchise quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, it seems that his position as the team's QB1 is safe for the foreseeable future. That's even after the firing of Brian Flores on Monday night by the Dolphins, with team owner Stephen Ross expressing his trust in the former Alabama Crimson Tide star.
Via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press:
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross: “I have a lot of confidence in Tua, and the next head coach will work with him or whoever else.”
Tagovailoa, who was taken by the Dolphins as their fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has had an up-and-down stint in Miami so far in his young career. In his rookie season, Tagovailoa made nine starts and went 6-3-0 with 1,814 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, five picks, and a 64.1 completion percentage. In Year 2, he completed 67.8% of his passes in 13 appearances (12 starts) and finished with a 7-5-0 record, 2,653 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
It's fair to say that Tagovailoa hasn't been as impressive and consistent as what the Dolphins hoped he would be in the pros when they drafted him. But perhaps a new head coach in Miami could help Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year deal worth $30.275 million with the Fins in 2020, reach his ceiling in the NFL.