Brian Flores praises Tua Tagovailoa for his team-first mentality

Published by

Brad Sullivan

5 years ago

Though the spotlight for the Miami Dolphins’ game on Sunday is directly on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, head coach Brian Flores praises the rookie for being a team player.

Tagovailoa will be making his first NFL start against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, a highly anticipated event that the Dolphins are hoping is the start of a memorable career.

The hype about Tagovailoa starting for the Dolphins has been building since the team selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Coming back from potentially career-threatening hip surgery last year, Tagovailoa has undergone intense rehabilitation and has impressed both Flores and his teammates with his professionalism.

That approach has resulted in Tagovailoa spending long hours learning the Dolphins offense and adapting to the pro game. The Dolphins’ original plan was focused on letting him learn while watching veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, but Flores shifted gears last week by elevating the rookie to the starting lineup.

Tagovailoa will be facing a stiff challenge against the 5-2 Rams, but his main focus is simply on helping the Dolphins win their third consecutive game and get above the .500 mark.

Brad Sullivan

Brad is a freelance writer for Dolphinnation.com and has been around long enough to remember the 1972 perfect season, and even when Don Shula was coaching the Colts. He still follows the Dolphins and other happenings in the NFL, so he can offer a little perspective when it comes to the ups and downs of each season. Some of his opinions may end up differing from the people who read them, but that's par for the course when it comes to life in South Florida.