Tua Tagovailoa can’t seem to win. No, not in terms of actual wins—he’s second to Jalen Hurts in win/loss percentage among the new wave of “generational” QBs drafted in 2020. But when it comes to winning over the fan base, the media, or the public in general, he’s constantly facing criticism.
Every time we lose, it’s blamed on him not being good enough. For some reason, we just can’t appreciate him for the player he IS and what he brings to the game. He’s virtually everything you want in a competitor, and what’s even more admirable is that he’s been overcoming adversity long before joining the NFL.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle he had to overcome was the serious hip injury he suffered in college in late 2019 (the same type of injury that ended running back Bo Jackson’s career).
Since then, he has had to rehab and adapt his body for NFL play while navigating chaos around him. Whether by being forced to make his first NFL start against Aaron Donald—the best defensive player at the time—just 11 months after his hip injury or dealing with two ( possibly three) co-offensive coordinators who had no idea how to scheme or call plays.
His head coach was quick to point out every bad play and explain why he felt Tua wasn’t good enough.
Despite this, Tua remained a winning quarterback, doing so without much support. But once the organization provided him with better help and a coach who believed in him, we saw Tua excel. Whether his critics want to admit it or not, the Miami Dolphins offense was unstoppable at one point—just ask the Denver Broncos—and Tua was undoubtedly a key factor in that. However, once teams figured out the Dolphins’ game plan, we saw a breakdown of the entire team, which was mistakenly attributed to the injuries we suffered late in the season.
I say “mistakenly” because the much bigger issues on this team are now clear. All of this came to light when Tua suffered another concussion just two games into the 2024 season. During that stretch, it became clear that the coach failed to adapt his game plan to his talent, and the organization had no vision or foresight in the offseason. Our biggest concerns came to fruition.
The offensive line, which General Manager Chris Grier mocked us about for the past two years, has been worse than inadequate. Offensive coordinator Frank Smith cannot be happy about that part of his offense.
Head coach Mike McDaniel has now openly stated that the offensive line is being “violated.” This is a fundamental problem that Tua cannot fix. Nor could any QB.
And just because Tua signed a $212 million contract, people expect him to make up for these flaws. Any sensible football fan knows Tua is not Josh Allen. To expect that from him is delusional. However, if Tua played in Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, or Houston (I could keep going), he would be an MVP candidate.
How do I know this? Because he was an MVP candidate last year when he had a fraction of what those teams have.
The bottom line is that the Dolphins’ issues are not all on Tua. We’re not just a quarterback away from being a true Super Bowl contender—we’re a philosophy away.
