Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier declares team’s final stance on Deshaun Watson

The Miami Dolphins reportedly won’t be making another run at Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said the “door is shut” on Watson coming to Miami ahead of the 2022 season. The team reportedly believes in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to take a leap in the 2022 season.

The Dolphins have long been linked to Watson, but they were never able to get a deal for the talented, yet controversial quarterback. Watson has been dealing with allegations of sexual assault dating back to last offseason.

Grier’s comments are clearly a vote of confidence for Tagovailoa, who the team took with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The University of Alabama product will be faced with a new challenge in his third NFL season, as he will have a new head coach in Mike McDaniel.

During the 2021 season, Tagovailoa completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 2,653 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He appeared in 13 games (12 starts), and he compiled a 7-5 record in his starts.

Despite Tagovailoa’s solid play, the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs in the 2021 season. They started the year just 1-7, partly due to the fact that Tagovailoa missed games with a rib injury.

While Watson would be an upgrade over Tagovailoa right now, the Dolphins seem to believe in the young quarterback’s potential to be a franchise cornerstone going forward.

McDaniel will look to build an offense that plays to Tagovailoa’s strengths, while Grier will look to bring in the right players around him for the Dolphins to succeed in 2022.