Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has only two NFL starts under his belt, but he’s already earning incredible comparisons.
In fact, his passer rating after his first two starts is slightly higher than that of Patrick Mahomes after his first two starts in the league.
Not predicting Tua will become Mahomes (who the heck knows?), but found this interesting, for whatever it's worth (maybe not much): Tua passer rating after two career starts: 103.8. Mahomes after two career starts: 102.8.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 9, 2020
Tagovailoa only threw for 93 yards in his debut last week, but took a giant step forward on Sunday by completing 20 of 28 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the Dolphins’ 34-31 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Mahomes was the Kansas City Chiefs’ top pick in the 2017 draft. They were so enamored with the gunslinger that they packaged three picks in order to move up 17 spots to acquire Mahomes.
Mahomes started the Chiefs’ 2017 finale before officially being named as the team’s starter the following year.
Since that time, he’s become a two-time Pro Bowler and NFL MVP. Last February, he led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title in 50 years.
The Dolphins are certainly hoping that Tagovailoa follows that same path.
There was some concern about the Dolphins moving on from veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to elevate Tagovailoa earlier this season.
Those concerns largely dealt with Tagovailoa’s readiness for the job and risk of injury. Prior to the start of the season, the Dolphins were expected to have Tagovailoa learn from the sidelines, but then decided they wanted a better look at what he had to offer.
Given what he’s done so far, Tagovailoa’s brief time as a starter is offering evidence that the Dolphins made a wise choice with the fifth overall pick in last April’s draft.
