By CJ Carlson
Tua Tagovailoa was having a great season statistically, until he got into the postseason. Yet again, this Miami Dolphins team fell flat on their faces when the stakes were raised. Tagovailoa put together an underwhelming performance in the Wild Card round against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the team was subsequently eliminated from contention with the loss. It’s once again raised questions on his ability to lead this team to a Super Bowl, and if he’s the answer at the position.
Reporters caught up with the franchise’s general manager Chris Grier and asked him about the future of his quarterback. He said, “The goal is to have him here long-term and playing at a high level. That’s always the goal and we’ll continue to communicate with him through the offseason here.” It certainly seems like Tua is locked in with the Dolphins for at least another season, with nobody on that team losing faith in him.
He already had his rights for next season locked down after the fifth-year option was attached to his rookie contract. The biggest concern is whether or not he can compete against the best teams at the highest stages possible. When the team played opponents with a winning record, Miami was just 1-6 this season and averaged only 15.1 points per game. Tua completed 20 of his 39 pass attempts for 199 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as well. Clearly, there’s something going on there.
Tua Tagovailoa Isn’t Only One To Blame
The loss certainly wasn’t just on Tua Tagovailoa though. The team was playing in frigid temperatures out there, which isn’t something you’d like for a Miami team that’s built upon speed rather than physicality. On top of that, the injuries on the defensive end were piling up. They entered that game without Xavien Howard, Jevon Holland, Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel, Cameron Goode, Bradley Chubb, and Jaelan Phillips. All of those players are just on the defensive end and don’t include the players that suited up despite being less than 100 percent like their other safety DeShon Elliott was.
Tagovailoa is likely to take the largest part of the blame for the team’s first-round exit and late season collapse. However, the issues might go a little deeper than just his underwhelming games. The injuries, the weather, and the play calling could all come into question as well.
