Fitzpatrick Should Stay The Starter
Tua Tagovailoa is the future of the Miami Dolphins there is no question about it, but that doesn’t mean he should be the starter at any point in 2020. There is no perfect formula for when you should play a young quarterback. For every quarterback, like Peyton Manning, who starts from day one and goes through the struggles, but gets better and goes on to have a great career, there is a David Carr, Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer, or Tim Couch. Guys who struggle, but never get better for whatever the reason. That’s not to say that will happen to Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins have a veteran quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick, who can start and help Tagovailoa learn the game as well as perform at a high level on the field. Fitzpatrick helped the team win 5 games and played well despite the roster going through a massive overhaul. Heck, he even led the team in rushing. Fitzpatrick throughout training camp was the better quarterback and head coach Brian Flores always believes in playing the guy that is playing better in practice and preparing.
Last Thursday night leading up to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin said the Dolphins should start Tagovailoa because Fitzpatrick has a losing record in his career and is a quarterback who has bounced around so he’s good enough to play, but not good enough to stick around. Irvin may have a point of him being a journeyman who can’t stick, but his record isn’t something I pay attention to. He’s been on some bad teams. He also has been good and bad, but he is very well-liked and he gives you his all every week.

I get so frustrated when everyone wants to knock Fitzpatrick instead of appreciating the things he’s done throughout his career. My wife, who hates football, asked me what do you like about this guy? I said several things. First, he’s a team player and he knows his role on this team. He knows Tagovailoa is the future of the team and has embraced being his mentor and helping him when it’s time for him to play. That’s not something that is easy for any quarterback and he’s embraced it. The second thing is he plays hard and gives you everything he has. He will dive headfirst to try to get a first down or reach the end zone. How can you not like that as a fan? Third, he plays with a lot of passion and energy that rubs off on his teammates. Players look up to him and feed off his energy. That’s big for a team in full-blown rebuilding mode. The last thing is he is the leader of the team. You heard stories Thursday night of he always answers teammate’s questions and how players have to fight to sit next to him because of his professionalism and how laid back he is. What’s not to like about him?
Fitzpatrick had a bad game in the opener against the New England Patriots throwing 3 interceptions. That sparked talk that the Dolphins should play Tagovailoa, but Fitzpatrick bounced back a week later against the Buffalo Bills. He threw for over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. He should have had a third if Preston Williams didn’t drop the ball and that would have won the game. Then Thursday night against the Jaguars, he led the Dolphins to 3 touchdowns on their first 3 possessions something that hasn’t been done in almost a decade. Plus he completed 90 percent of his passes, threw 2 touchdown passes, and ran for another. Fitzpatrick is going to keep starting. Coach Flores doesn’t believe in playing a young quarterback until he’s ready so he isn’t going to cave in to the pressure from the fans and media.
One criticism when Ryan Tannehill was here for 7 years was he was never pushed by another quarterback outside of his rookie season. People felt he was handed the job and didn’t have sufficient competition to push him as the starter. That was all true.
It’s not a bad thing for Tagovailoa to sit on the bench and learn. Plus he’s not even a year removed from the hip injury that almost cost him his football career so why not have him sit and continue to have his hip get stronger.

It’s not a sin for a quarterback to be drafted in the first round to sit on the bench and learn. Patrick Mahomes sat on the bench his rookie season with the exception of the last game of 2017. Donovan McNabb sat his rookie season in 1999 and he was coached by Mahomes’ coach Andy Reid. Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre for 3 years. Philip Rivers even sat for 2 years. Heck believe it or not Dan Marino didn’t start right away his rookie year. He started the 6th game of his rookie year.
Marino’s rookie year before being named the starter in week 6, he played a little bit when the offense struggled or there was a plan to play him a couple of series a game. That is something Flores could do with Tagovailoa to slowly incorporate him into the lineup, but I don’t see that happening.
Flores is going to keep Fitzpatrick in until he struggles or gets hurt. He could even put him in later in the year if the Dolphins aren’t in the playoff hunt, but I’m not sure he would do that based on he didn’t play Josh Rosen at the end of the year, However, Tagovailoa was much better than Rosen in camp to the point that the Dolphins cut ties with Rosen so that could be a different story. Until that happens Fitzpatrick is the like it, lump it, get used to it.

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