Ryan Fitzpatrick Indicates He’ll Both Root For and Compete With Tua Tagovailoa

Despite that fact that rookie Tua Tagovailoa is competing for his job, Miami Dolphins veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is prepared to serve as a mentor for the newcomer and is rooting for him to succeed.

Fitzpatrick spoke with former NFL player Eric Wood on the latter’s podcast “What’s Next,” with the veteran signal caller indicating that he’s hoping to smooth Tagovailoa’s path to stardom.

Tagovailoa was the fifth overall selection in last month’s NFL draft and serves as the future of the team. While he continues to get back to full health following major surgery last year, he’s expected to spend the 2020 campaign learning under Fitzpatrick.

Set to begin his 16th NFL season, Fitzpatrick knows all about the ups and downs of being an NFL quarterback, with the Dolphins being the ninth different team he’s played for during that span.

Along the way, Fitzpatrick has thrown for 3,000 yards or more five different times, but he’s also led the league in interceptions on one occasion.

Fitzpatrick is coming off a season in which he threw for 3,529 yards and 20 touchdowns. Numbers like that might make other quarterbacks leery of helping someone who will eventually replace them in the lineup.

Yet, the 37-year-old Fitzpatrick knows that he’s coming to the end of his career in the near future, so he’s aware that such change is inevitable.

Fitzpatrick could potentially use his private tutoring of Tagovailoa as a springboard into the coaching ranks, if he chooses to take that route.

Right now, the continuing coronavirus pandemic has prevented the two players from getting together in person. However, once that happens, it seems likely that Tagovailoa will have every chance to absorb all the football knowledge that Fitzpatrick can offer.