DAVIE, Fla. Miami Dolphins’ quarterback situation was central to the news cycle early in the off-season, but when asked about it on Thursday, Coach Brian Flores confirmed his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and expressed his enthusiasm for his development that year. takes effect 2.
“A lot of attention is being paid to Tua, but I thought he had made a lot of progress over the season. I’m excited about the future with him,” Flores told ESPN. “He’s a young player, a talented player, bouncing back from the hip. I think this is a big off season for him. That jump from year 1 to year 2 will be important, as it is for all the rookies.”
Last week, Dolphins CEO Chris Grier made it clear there was no controversy over QB, saying, “Gosh, we’re very happy with it. He’s our starting quarterback.”
Still, Tagovailoa has been the subject of questions, criticism and speculation after an uneven beginner season.
As Dolphins coaches and executives delve deeper into an off-season with an ongoing offensive search for coordinators and a chance to coach the Senior Bowl later this month, they hope to get past the questions and move into a future that includes Tagovailoa.
“Criticism comes with the territory in the NFL across the board. Our team ignored those things well. Everyone who saw the dolphins this year saw that we were a tight-knit group and I think that is still the case,” said Flores. “The idea that there is a break is exaggerated. I thought there was a lot of support in the locker room.
“My message to the team was to ignore the noise and the people in the building will tell you the truth. How can you determine what’s going on without all the information?”
The Dolphins’ decision-makers still believe in Tagovailoa’s talent. Throughout the season, players to ESPN revealed different opinions as to whether Tagovailoa or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick gave them the best chance of winning. But several teammates have publicly expressed their support and optimism about Tagovailoa’s future throughout the season.
Miami has interviewed five candidates for their offensive coordinator job, which was vacant after Chan Gailey resigned last week, and a top recruiting priority will lead Tagovailoa’s development in Year 2.
Dolphins running back coach Eric Studesville, Dolphins QB coach George Godsey, Los Angeles Chargers QB coach Pep Hamilton, Pittsburgh Steelers QB coach Matt Canada, and San Francisco 49ers run game coordinator Mike McDaniel have all been interviewed for the job.
Tagovailoa still has a lot to prove. He wasn’t good enough in terms of confidence in his eyes on the field and playing off-schedule – evidenced by one of the lowest completion rates on 20-plus-yard passes this season.
But the Dolphins would and probably will have patience letting Tagovailoa improve and develop with a full offseason, more explosive assault weapons, and a playcaller who builds an attack that suits him best. He played his best football when he was allowed to play more freely with tempo and staggered packages.
The comparisons to Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, who had better statistical seasons in different situations, help paint a doom-and-gloom situation around Tagovailoa, who completed 64% of his passes for 11 passing TDs and five interceptions with a 6-foot pedestrian. , 3 yards per attempt. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen had a 53% completion rate, 10 TDs, 12 interceptions and 6.5 yards per attempt as a rookie. Kansas City Chiefs recipient Tyreek Hill admitted to Inside the NFL in December that he thought Patrick Mahomes was “trash” as a rookie. Both are now among the AFC’s best QBs.
The dolphins clearly believe that development takes time and that Tagovailoa will be fine.
“We learned he’s healthy. He still has a lot of his mobility. He’s accurate. In the Arizona game, he brings us back to the fourth quarter. He got us back in the Kansas City game. He didn’t play as either. good at other games. He had a few bright spots and not-so-bright spots. That’s the life of a rookie, “said Flores. “If he keeps learning, studying, staying healthy, getting stronger, working on his footwork and eye progression and picking up where he left off, I think we’ll be happy with his improvement.”