One unnamed former NFL general manager is expressing his pessimism about the possibility of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reaching stardom in the league.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald pointed out the disparity between former general managers and quarterbacks in how Tagovailoa is perceived, with one of those GMs indicating a clear lack of confidence in the signal-caller.
“And then there’s a former NFC GM who insisted to me for years that Ryan Tannehill would never be a top-10 quarterback in Miami and now says, ‘I’m sort of pessimistic about [Tagovailoa] being a star,” Jackson wrote. “He’s a smaller guy that has to win with his feet and his throwing.”
While the anonymity of the former executive allows him to express his true feelings, it also protects him from any blowback if his prediction ends up being wrong.
In addition to those aspects, the fact that the former executive is no longer employed by any NFL team calls into question exactly how good he is when it comes to assessing talent within the league.
Former Dolphins general manager Mike Tannenbaum was more optimistic about Tagovailoa when asked about his potential in January.
“I think he can be a winning quarterback,” Tannenbaum said. “You need to be patient. He needs a strong, stout offensive line much the way Drew Brees had in New Orleans.”
The 23-year-old Tagovailoa got a quick baptism as a rookie for the Dolphins last season, starting in nine games and throwing for over 1,800 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Regardless of what opinion former players and executives might have of Tagovailoa, the Dolphins clearly consider him their quarterback of the future and will offer him every chance to succeed.
