‘We feel like he’s ready’
Flores: Tagovailoa ready to take next step in his career as Dolphins’ starting QB
When Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa saw his phone ring with a call from coach Brian Flores, he thought it would be just another call.
Tagovailoa and Flores typically meet Tuesdays to watch film together. So Tagovailoa thought Flores was calling him up to his office to break down some game tape.
Instead, Flores — with Dolphins general manager Chris Grier in the same room — delivered news that will shape Tagovailoa’s NFL career.
“You never know when your opportunity is given,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday about his promotion from Dolphins backup to their starting quarterback.
“When they come, you have to take them and run with them.”
The job promotion from Flores came as a surprise to Tagovailoa, whose start will come Nov. 1 against the Los Angeles Rams at Hard Rock Stadium following a bye for the Dolphins bye this week.
The demotion was devastating for Ryan Fitzpatrick, the 16-year veteran who said he was heartbroken after his conversation with Flores regarding the matter.
The news also came as a surprise
to Dolphins players, who first learned of the move after it was reported by ESPN on Tuesday morning before Flores addressed the team. It was particularly so since the team is sitting at .500 and second in the AFC East standings with an eye toward a playoff spot when it returns from the bye.
And the move is a far cry from Flores’ stance earlier this month on not playing Tagovailoa before the Dolphins rookie made his brief debut last Sunday.
“We feel like it’s the best thing for the team,” Flores said Wednesday of Tagovailoa. “Through practices, walk-throughs and meetings, we feel like he’s ready.”
Flores had said, because of Tagovailoa’s injury history, he did not want to throw the rookie into an NFL game due to any media or outside pressures. He later said Tagovailoa was not yet ready to start an NFL game.
Apparently, a matter of two weeks proved to be a big difference for Tagovailoa, Flores and the direction of the Dolphins franchise.
Tagovailoa made his NFL debut in Miami’s 24-0 win over the New York Jets last Sunday, appearing in five plays at the end the game.
He completed two passes for 9 yards, including a 7-yard strike to receiver Jakeem Grant for Miami’s lone third-down conversion of the game, while handing off the football three times in the final 2 minutes, 27 seconds of the contest.
Tagovailoa received a rousing ovation from the announced crowd of 10,776 people in Hard Rock Stadium with Dolphins owner Steve Ross, CEO Tom Garfinkel and Hall of Famer Dan Marino watching from the sideline.
After an evaluation of the Jets game Monday night — which saw Fitzpatrick throw three touchdowns along with two interceptions and seven of 13 drives end with a punt — the Dolphins decided it was time to hand the keys to the offense over to Tagovailoa.
And it’s a moment he will cherish, close to a year since he suffered a hip dislocation and posterior wall fracture that clouded his future before the Dolphins drafted him with the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL draft in April.
“Well, it’s definitely been a journey,” Tagovailoa said. “I definitely think of that injury, when I got hurt. And then the process leading up to being able to walk, being able to do football drills and being able to do things in general.
“I definitely do reflect on that process that I went through and
I’ve definitely blessed to still be here playing the game I grew up dreaming of playing.”
When the Dolphins fell to 1-3 earlier this season, Flores was peppered with questions about Tagovailoa’s readiness to play.
Although Tagovailoa was medically cleared to practice, play and be active in games to back up Fitzpatrick for the first month of the season, Flores cited Tagovailoa’s hip recovery as a major reason why he did not want to play the Dolphins’ top draft pick.
“Look, the honest thing for me is if it was my kid and he had a serious injury like that, I wouldn’t want his coach to throw him in there because of media pressure or anything like that,” Flores said of Tagovailoa on Oct. 5. “With the players, they are my kids.
“So no one is going to pressure me into doing anything. If we feel like he’s ready to go, we’ll put him .”
Two days later, Flores said Tagovailoa could go in on any snap just like any other backup player.
“As far as being a starter, we don’t feel like he’s ready, there just yet,” Flores said Oct. 7. “That’s where we’re at with him and other players or other rookies that aren’t ready to take that step just yet.”
Flores’ stance Wednesday during Miami’s bye week was quite different, adding Tagovailoa’s persistence in meetings, walkthrough practice sessions and full practice sessions have trended in the right direction.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of improvement from Tua. … I think he’s gotten more comfortable,” Flores said. “But yes, accuracy, decision-making, all of those things have been good in practice. But again practice is very different than games.
“We’re going to do everything we can from a meeting, a walkthrough, a practice standpoint to get him ready to play in a game. Obviously, we’re comfortable and confident that he’ll be able to be competitive in those games when the time comes.”
Flores did not lead on any indication that the team was going to wait until the bye to make a move to Tagovailoa. The Dolphins’ bye was originally set for Week 11 until widespread schedule changes affected several games for Miami.
Now, the Dolphins have more than 10 days to prepare for their next opponent.
And Tagovailoa hopes to continue relying on Fitzpatrick for his mentorship and “the mind” of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey to put the Dolphins offense in the best position for the final 10 games of the regular season.
“My goals are to do whatever I can do to help this team become successful,” Tagovailoa said.