Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a somewhat underwhelming rookie year.
However, Tagovailoa’s college coach, University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, is confident that the young passer will take a leap forward in his second NFL season.
Saban said as much when speaking with a number of sportswriters recently.
“I don’t think it’s fair to me to evaluate what he did or didn’t do or how he progressed,” Saban said. “I know there’s a lot written about it. I know he’s a hard worker and there’s a lot of pride in performance. I know there’s a lot of improvement from the first year to the second year in most cases going to that level or going from high school to here. We think Tua will have a great career, he’ll continue to work hard and develop really nicely.”
Without a doubt, Saban has intimate knowledge on how driven Tagovailoa is to succeed. After all, the two dominated college football together during Tagovailoa’s time with the powerhouse program.
Last season, Tagovailoa played in 10 games and started in nine for the Dolphins. He went 6-3 in those starts and regularly flashed the talent that made him the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Still, his numbers left a lot to be desired. He finished the year with 1,814 yards through the air and 11 touchdowns.
He threw five interceptions on the season, though three of those picks came in the Week 16 blowout against the Buffalo Bills.
Earlier in the offseason, the Dolphins were heavily pegged as a potential landing spot for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
However, recent sexual assault allegations have brought the Watson trade rumors to a screeching halt.
For now, it appears the Dolphins are ready to forge ahead with Tagovailoa at the helm.
It seems Saban is confident that the plan will lead to a lot of future success.
