The building excitement over the start of Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL career has the rookie’s Miami Dolphins teammate Jerome Baker enthusiastic about what Tagovailoa can provide the team.
Baker appeared on the NFL Network program, “Good Morning Football,” and indicated (at the 2:30 mark) that Tagovailoa is prepared for what lies ahead.
“I got to speak to him a little bit while we were having our joint practices,” Baker said. “You can just tell the kid is ready to go. He’s doing everything he needs to do to make sure he’s healthy. He’s a hard-working kid. I’m happy that we have him. I’m happy to see what he brings this year. I’m definitely excited. I think he’s going to do just fine.”
While Tagovailoa has yet to take a snap in the NFL, Baker is looking to build on his first two seasons with the Dolphins. Following a rookie campaign that saw him make 79 stops in 2018, the 23-year-old Baker contributed 126 tackles last season.
Tagovailoa’s health is the chief focus entering the Dolphins’ training camp after his final season at the University of Alabama came to an abrupt end after a season-ending hip injury.
The work ethic shown by Tagovailoa in getting back to full health is helping eliminate concerns that he will be forced to sit out most of the 2020 season.
Still, the Dolphins are prepared to let Ryan Fitzpatrick handle the quarterback duties this year while Tagovailoa fully adapts to the pro game.
Baker’s fervor about Tagovailoa’s potential is just the latest example of what might be possible in the years ahead. Whether that leads to Super Bowl titles in the future is something that requires him and Dolphins fans to be patient.
