As Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa prepares for his second NFL season, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says that the young signal-caller is making all the right moves in his effort to improve.
Peter King of NBC Sports looked at the Dolphins’ efforts to draft talent to enhance Tagovailoa’s ability, with Flores noting that Tagovailoa’s tenacious work ethic will pay dividends down the road.
“I never like to put it on one player,” Flores said. “I think we’ve got a lot of young players, and we’re looking for all of those players as well as really everyone on our team to improve in a variety of ways. If they’re putting all the work in, I expect them to improve, get better, and perform better. Tua is obviously at the top of that list. He’s been working. All signs point to—or I would say based on my experience—he’s doing everything necessary to make some improvements. That’s really all we can ask for. My thing is if you put the work in, the results will take care of themselves.”
Tagovailoa was the fifth player taken overall in last year’s draft, with question marks attached to his ability to stay healthy after having undergone major hip surgery in 2019.
The grueling rehabilitation process for Tagovailoa paid off for him and erased concerns that he might not be able to play at all in 2020.
Even if Tagovailoa were healthy, the Dolphins’ original plan was to let him learn the pro game on the sidelines, an approach that eventually changed and led to the rookie starting nine games.
Tagovailoa ended up throwing for 1,814 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, but like all young quarterbacks, he still has plenty to learn.
Still, from Flores’ perspective, Tagovailoa is on a path that will play a major role in helping make the Dolphins a candidate for the postseason and, eventually, the Super Bowl.
