Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa breaks his silence on Deshaun Watson trade rumors

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has responded to the rumors about possibly being part of a trade for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

In what may be a surprise to some people, Tagovailoa was unaware of any trade talk until being contacted by his agent, but chalked it up to the business of the game.

“I never heard about the rumor until my agent reached out to me,” Tagovailoa said. “I’m not one to really listen to the radio or watch ESPN. Really the only time I would watch TV would be to watch a football game on Sunday. I don’t hear too much of that. The only time I heard about it was from my agent. That’s something that would be out of my control, regardless. That would be on the decision of the Miami Dolphins organization. I have to control what I can control. Work hard. And do well next season.”

Tagovailoa recently completed his rookie season with the Dolphins, starting in nine of the 10 games he appeared in for the team in 2020.

Like most rookies, Tagovailoa had some uneasy stretches but is still considered by Dolphins general manager Chris Grier as the team’s quarterback of the future. Tagovailoa ended the 2020 campaign by throwing for 1,814 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Tagovailoa was the fifth overall pick in last April’s draft and was coming off major surgery after a season-ending hip injury. That was one factor in limiting his opportunities to put up bigger numbers, which could begin to happen in 2021.

Watson had expressed a desire to be traded from the Texans after conflicts with the team’s front office. The price for any team to acquire the standout signal-caller would be steep, which is another likely reason why the Dolphins don’t appear to be interested.

While Grier made his statement about Tagovailoa’s status early last month prior to a trade request by Watson, there’s no indication that the team has had a change of heart.

Tagovailoa will now go back to using his tenacious work ethic to improve and develop into the top quarterback the Dolphins are expecting him to be in the years ahead.