Dolphins will be looking for Tua’s backup
The Dolphins will go quarterback shopping this offseason. You might have thought that wasn’t possible because general manager Chris Grier only days ago uttered the words that seemingly nullified that possibility: “Tua is our starter,” Grier said of Tua Tagovailoa.
And, yes, that seemingly settles the issue about Tagovailoa. But, again, the Dolphins will go quarterback shopping this offseason.
That’s because the team needs a backup quarterback. And unlike their commitment to Tagovailoa for 2021, the Dolphins declined to make any promise to bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was Miami’s quarterback most of the past two seasons.
“We’ve got to go through a full process, a full evaluation,” coach Brian Flores said. “We’ll evaluate offense, defense, special teams and then we’ll create a vision of what we want our team to look like in 2021.
“You don’t do that one day or two days after the season. Chris and I both, we talk about this extensively, we don’t think that’s the best way to make decisions. We’re not going to rush anything. We’re going to take our time with it.
“Obviously, Fitz, along with all of the free agents, are going to be a part of the conversation because we know them. … We’re not going to sit here and say, ‘Hey, we might want to do this, that or the other.’ We’ve got to go through it and be as thorough as possible and try to make the best decisions for this organization.”
Let’s be clear what just happened: The Dolphins fully committed to a player they’ve been around one season. But they spoke of needing a full evaluation process for a player they’ve been around longer and know more.
Yeah, the chances of Fitzpatrick returning to the Dolphins next season are slim and none.
Sorry, Fitz.
Appreciate your effort, leadership, fun style of play and thoughtful quotes during news conferences. But it would be a huge surprise if you return to the Dolphins.
And why is that? Well, it’s a two-sided issue.
Fitzpatrick is unsigned for 2021. His two-year deal with the Dolphins, meant to bridge the gap between the Ryan Tannehill era and the next great quarterback in club history, has run out. And that affords everyone options.
Fitzpatrick, 38, believes he’s playing at the highest level of his career. He’s said as much. And having thrown 13 touchdowns versus eight interceptions, with a 68.5 completion percentage and a 95.6 rating that ranked 17th in the league, Fitzpatrick can make the argument he deserves to compete for a starting NFL job.
And he does.
And, just as he did in 2019 when he moved on from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he might get the opportunity to join such a competition from a team with an uncertain quarterback situation.
New England, Denver, Jacksonville, Washington, Chicago and San Francisco all go into the offseason with uncertain quarterback situations. A couple of others might join the list.
And even if those teams address their uncertainty in the draft, as Jacksonville is certain to do, there’s still something to be said for giving a rookie quarterback the benefit of learning how to be a professional from a consummate professional such as Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick also alleviates the urgency to start that rookie immediately.
All those virtues make Fitzpatrick marketable. Attractive.
So why wouldn’t the Dolphins want to simply return him next year and enjoy the many Fitz benefits? Well, they might. Flores said there will be an evaluation and so the door remains ajar.
But, let’s be honest, the Fitzpatrick dynamic in Miami has run its course.
He was a great help to the Dolphins during the 2019 tank job when he was the third quarterback the team tried to sign after trading Tannehill. He was a great help last season as the starter at the beginning of the season and the closer at the end once Tagovailoa took the offense’s reins.
That latter role isn’t profitable for the Dolphins anymore.
The Dolphins need Tagovailoa next season to finish what he started. Because one supposes if they’re committed to him starting, they’re also committed to him finishing. Otherwise they’d be authoring a mess.
Flores didn’t mind stirring things up a bit in turning to Fitzpatrick a couple of times in games Tagovailoa struggled last season. He did it, he said, as his best recourse for winning a game.
That works, sort of, when the starter is a rookie and not established.
But do that with a sec
ond-year veteran and you’ve got a quarterback controversy. Do that and you’re hurting the starter’s ability to lead. You’re negatively affecting his standing among teammates. And you’re showing only limited confidence in a player who needs more, not less, support.
Flores might not agree with that last paragraph at all. Many defensive-minded coaches are prone to being less nurturing of their quarterbacks.
And that’s another reason Grier cannot bring
back Fitzpatrick. Because doing that would tempt Flores to turn to Fitzpatrick over Tagovailoa at any moment he feels winning a game is at stake.
The 2021 Dolphins would be back in 2020.
None of that suggests the Dolphins won’t be looking for a good quarterback this offseason — to be behind and push Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins say they want competition.
“Yeah, it’s every position,” Grier said. “Like I said, it makes everyone great. History has shown it
doesn’t matter who it is; you’re always looking to bring in guys that fit your system and that will push people and make them better, and so competition at every position.
“We talked about that last year when we were going through it. It’s competition at every position, so yeah. But I also want to be clear that Tua is our starter and we’re very happy with his development so far.”