NFL team evaluator and rival coach talk up Tua Tagovailoa and Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa starred in the team’s Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He was arguably Miami’s best offensive player in the victory, as he threw for a whopping 466 yards and three touchdowns compared to only one interception.

An NFL team evaluator and rival coach recently talked up Tagovailoa and the Dolphins following the team’s impressive Week 1 performance.

“This looks like what Tua did at Alabama,” the team evaluator told The Athletic. “It’s like they just found a guy that lets Tua do what Tua does best.”

The rival coach then went on to praise the Dolphins and their starting quarterback in a similar fashion.

“I was very impressed watching their stuff,” the coach said. “They have done the right thing with how they have built the system with the players, leaning into Tua’s accuracy and anticipation, leaning into their speed.”

Tagovailoa, 25, was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after three seasons playing college football at the University of Alabama. He threw for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games played with the Crimson Tide during the 2017 season.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback was one of the best players at his position in the nation during his final two seasons at Alabama. He threw for 2,800-plus yards and 33-plus touchdowns in each of his last two seasons of college football.

Tagovailoa’s contributions during his sophomore season, the 2018 season, translated into a whole lot of collective success for the Crimson Tide. They finished the season with a superb 14-1 record and made it to the final of the College Football Playoff but lost to Clemson University by a final score of 44-16. Tagovailoa threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

The 25-year-old has played four seasons in the NFL, all as a member of the Dolphins franchise. He totaled 3,548 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns in 13 games played with Miami during the 2022 regular season (all starts).

Folks in NFL circles are starting to take note of Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ success. A win on the road against Mac Jones and the New England Patriots this weekend would only increase the hype surrounding the team and its star quarterback.