Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa paid tribute to teammate Ryan Fitzpatrick by wearing the veteran’s jersey to a press conference on Thursday.
Tua showing off his Ryan Fitzpatrick jersey 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/92KaCMtmKS
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) August 13, 2020
Tagovailoa is being groomed to become the Dolphins’ quarterback of the future, with the rookie noting how much help he’s received from Fitzpatrick.
"Fitz is doing a tremendous job trying to help mold me and Josh as well," Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa said.
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) August 13, 2020
Tagovailoa also offered an amusing anecdote about meeting the veteran’s large family via FaceTime earlier this week.
Tua Tagovailoa on his relationship with Ryan Fitzpatrick and meeting Fitzy’s big family recently. pic.twitter.com/Gem4FSi7Ug
— Will Manso (@WillManso) August 13, 2020
The expectation is that Fitzpatrick will be the Dolphins’ starter when the season gets underway next month.
One of the chief reasons why that scenario is likely to occur is because of the steep learning curve that’s required for all rookie quarterbacks.
Another factor is to make sure Tagovailoa is fully healthy again.
Last season at the University of Alabama, Tagovailoa suffered a season-ending injury that required major hip surgery. While he’s passed his physical with the team, there is no question that the organization wants to take it slow with its prized rookie.
Regardless of which player ends up taking snaps in the opener, it’s clear that Tagovailoa and Fitzpatrick have already established valuable chemistry with each other.
