While the general belief is that Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will spend much of the 2020 season on the bench, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick believes that Tagovailoa will be starting the Dolphins’ season-opening game on Sept. 13.
Vick, a South Florida resident, appeared on Colin Cowherd’s national sports talk show and was asked about how fast Tagovailoa will move into a starting role. Vick first indicated that the rookie should quickly make his mark during the Dolphins’ training camp.
.@ColinCowherd: Would you play Tua early?@MichaelVick: You've got to play him early… I expect him to be the starter Week 1. Just watching him throw the football there, he reminds me of Steve Young pic.twitter.com/Ntb39uDHvH
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 29, 2020
“The longest he gonna sit Colin, maybe a couple of practices when they resume training camp,” Vick said. “He might be No. 2 on the depth chart for the first week of training camp and then from there, he should be No. 1 and take all the reps.”
Vick later stated that veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick could help Tagovailoa if the rookie starts slowly, but pointed out how a fast start will put Tagovailoa behind center for the opener against the New England Patriots.
“It won’t be long” Vick said. “I expect Tua to be the starter in Week 1. I’m excited to watch this guy. Just watching him throw the football right there he reminds me of Steve Young.”
One key reason why the Dolphins want to be patient with Tagovailoa is that many rookie quarterbacks need time to develop. Another factor is that the rookie underwent season-ending hip surgery last November, and the team wants to make sure he stays healthy.
Vick knows what Tagovailoa is going through since the rookie had been touted a year ago as a possible top overall draft pick before dropping to the Dolphins in the fifth spot.
Back in 2001, Vick was the top overall pick of the Atlanta Falcons and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times in his first five seasons.
However, ugly off-the-field issues ended up sending Vick to prison, with the one-time star missing two full seasons. He enjoyed a brief five-year comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles, before playing his last NFL game in 2015.
Tagovailoa, like Vick and Young, is a southpaw, though he’s shown an ability to avoid the character flaws that derailed Vick’s career.
The Dolphins are certainly hoping that Tagovailoa follows in the footsteps of Young, who forged a Hall-of-Fame career largely as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Even if Tagovailoa doesn’t reach that lofty level, they’ll be happy if he can lead them to a Super Bowl title like Young.
