Tua cherishes Fitzpatrick’s mentorship
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sat down in a chair for his Thursday news conference, hoping the camera broadcasting the Zoom interview could capture his outfit.
Tagovailoa slipped on a Ryan Fitzpatrick No. 14 Dolphins jersey, hoping to channel some of his own charming personality in the manner of one of the NFL’s most affable players.
“I thought I could break [the] ice making you guys laugh, wearing a Fitz jersey because Fitz, he’s very personable as well,” Tagovailoa said with a grin.
Roughly two weeks after Fitzpatrick shared his affection for Tagovailoa, the Dolphins rookie shared his appreciation for the veteran he will learn from in training camp and this season in what might be the most amicable quarterback competition in the NFL.
Before diving into the budding friendship between Fitzpatrick and Tagovailoa, here’s a quick health update:
Tagovailoa, who continues to progress after his hip injury last November, will eventually have to experience how it feels to get hit again. The last time he was tackled, he was brought to the ground by two players, suffering a dislocated hip and posterior wall fracture while playing for Alabama.
It’s going to be a while before he is tackled, perhaps when he makes his rookie debut.
Tagovailoa, like every
NFL quarterback, will continue to wear a red, noncontact jersey in practice, with teammates strongly discouraged from hitting him or other quarterbacks.
“I won’t know the feeling until I actually do get tackled,” he said. “So it’s almost like a trial-and-error kind of thing. You got to go out there and do it to know if it does hurt or it doesn’t.”
That was as much of a health update Tagovailoa provided Thursday as his second news conference since being drafted touched on several topics.
■ He is surprised Dolphins legend Dan Marino, who sat in his first quarterback meeting, is “super humble.”
■ Tagovailoa is still learning offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s scheme and getting to know his teammates.
■ And he is centering his focus on preparing for the season instead of any expectations on him to be the Dolphins’ next franchise quarterback.
In the meantime, the Dolphins are entering the third week of their training camp and at least two of their quarterbacks seem to be getting along just fine.
Consider this anecdote from Tagovailoa, who said Fitzpatrick tried to introduce his family — which includes wife Liza and seven children — on a FaceTime call this week.
“It was pretty funny because while we were on FaceTime, everyone was scattered around the house,” Tagovailoa said. “So he introduces me to his kids and he introduces me to his wife, and he was like ‘This is it. This is everyone. This is my family.’
“And then, lo and behold, he forgets two of them.”
Tagovailoa couldn’t help but laugh again.
Tagovailoa knows it will be Dolphins coach Brian Flores who ultimately decides which quarterback will start: Fitzpatrick, thirdyear quarterback Josh Rosen or Tagovailoa.
While Tagovailoa awaits a decision, he seems to be cherishing the experience of absorbing as much as he can from Fitzpatrick, who is entering his 16th season in the NFL.
“He’s been in the league for so long and it’s kind of mind-boggling how down to earth he is,” Tagovailoa said. “I think Fitz has done a tremendous job in trying to shape and mold me.”