Tagovailoa healthy, but Flores in no rush to unleash him

Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores wants what is best for rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

And if that includes biding more time for Tagovailoa to grow more comfortable in his return from hip surgery, Flores is willing to play it safe.

Flores, speaking before Tuesday’s Dolphins practice, said Tagovailoa’s recovery will certainly be a factor when the team decides which players will be active and could potentially play when the season begins at New England on Sept. 13.

“That is definitely part of the conversation — for sure,” Flores said of Tagovailoa, the team’s top pick in April’s draft.

“We’re at 10 months. It was a pretty serious injury. He looks good, though. … He’s healthy. He’s moving around to his right and to his left. But yes, that’s part of the conversation.”

Tagovailoa has already made significant progress in his return from the gruesome hip injury he sustained last November. At the time, he wondered if he would ever play football again.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, the No. 5 pick in April’s draft has been able to be a full participant during his first NFL training camp.

Tagovailoa could push for the starting job in Week 1 — although it seems like 16-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick is Flores’ favorite to start the season.

When Fitzpatrick was unable to participate during the team’s scrimmage at Hard Rock Stadium last Saturday due to the death of his mother, Tagovailoa worked exclusively with the Dolphins’ first-team offense.

That may be a clear indication of where Tagovailoa sits on the Dolphins’ depth chart at quarterback as the team inches closer to the season.

More importantly, it speaks to the strides he has made in his recovery and how quickly the Dolphins are trying to get him to grasp the offense because his debut could happen at some point this season.

“We’re not saying somebody is one, two or three. It’s still a competition,” Flores said. “Obviously ‘Fitz has played well — they’ve all played well in spurts, and they’ve all made mistakes. We’ve still got a few days here. I think we like where all three of them are and we’ll continue to leave that as a competition moving forward.”

During the scrimmage, Tagovailoa completed 13-of-23 passes for 119 yards, while third-year quarterback Josh Rosen was 11 of 24 for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Both quarterbacks each had an interception, but Rosen could have had two more interceptions if the plays were not negated due to defensive penalties.

“I think there was some good [Saturday]. There was also some not so good. But I think [there is] a learning curve for me and a lot of the rookies,” Tagovailoa said after the scrimmage.

“There’s some things that we need to clean up offensively on my end, and things in general with communication. And then for me, not turning the ball over in situations. So being better with situational awareness, down and distance, and then communication.”

Flores and the Dolphins may not be in a rush to unleash Tagovailoa with Fitzpatrick and Rosen on the roster.

And they don’t need to be. Tagovailoa’s long-term health and viability could have far more effects for Flores and the Dolphins franchise than trotting him out prematurely.

“Look, he’s a great kid. I care about him. And I want what’s best for him,” Flores said. “And that’s definitely part of the conversation.”