After playing subpar ball in his first two NFL seasons, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa broke out last season.
He got off to a hot start, although he did experience a drop-off in his production over the last few weeks of the schedule.
Tagovailoa is now considered a good quarterback, although there are definitely questions as to whether he’s an elite one.
But the fact that he finished first in passer rating, yards per completion, yards per attempt, and percentage of passes that resulted in a touchdown seems to support the idea of him being elite.
Tua Tagovailoa final ranks among qualified QBs last season
ranking
Pass Rating 105.5 1st
Yards/Comp 13.70 1st
Yards/Att 8.87 1st
Pass TD/Att 6.3% t-1st pic.twitter.com/Ha7MyS4hFg— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) March 28, 2023
Tagovailoa’s play seemed to elevate his teammates, in particular, second-year wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who went from 1,015 yards and 9.8 yards per reception in 2021 to 1,356 yards and an NFL-high 18.1 yards per catch last year.
In addition, star wideout Tyreek Hill, who was acquired last offseason, had a career-high 1,710 receiving yards in 2022.
As a team, the Dolphins finished fourth in passing yards and touchdowns thanks to Tagovailoa’s improvement.
Of course, the big question surrounding him is whether he will stay healthy.
He had multiple concussions in 2022, one of which resulted in him staying in concussion protocol for several weeks, and it led to some pleading with him to retire.
But Tagovailoa is going to continue his promising career, and he has reportedly trained with an Olympic athlete in order to learn how to properly fail to reduce the physical impact on his head.
If he remains healthy, Miami should have at least a puncher’s chance at winning their first Super Bowl since the early 1970s, especially after the big acquisition of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
NEXT:
Brandon Marshall Calls 1 NFL Team ‘Absolutely Foolish’ For Not Pursuing Lamar Jackson
