Brian Flores has said several times that Tua Tagovailoa is “our quarterback,” recycling the statement every time the Deshaun Watson rumors have been brought up to the Miami Dolphins coach since the spring.
With Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline approaching and the Watson-to-Miami talk still lingering, Flores took it a step further and acknowledged that Tagovailoa will be Miami’s starter for the rest of the year, with the quarterback’s health being the only qualifier.
When asked to make a commitment that Tagovailoa would start all season, Flores did so with a “yeah.”
It wasn’t an over-the-top endorsement for Tagovailoa, who owns a 7-6 record as a starter heading into Sunday’s AFC East road game against the Buffalo Bills. But it was a fairly sound commitment to Miami’s 2020 first-round pick, who earlier this week raised concerns about the Dolphins’ commitment to him by saying he doesn’t “not feel wanted.”
Tagovailoa has completed 69.5% of his passes, throwing for 835 yards and seven touchdowns in the four games he’s played this season. But he’s thrown four interceptions and has a 95.1 passer rating, which ranks him the 18th best quarterback in the NFL.
“When I say he is our quarterback that is me saying we’re committed to him,” said Flores, who made the controversial decision to bench veteran starter and team captain Ryan Fitzpatrick and replace him with Tua six games into the 2020 season.
However, Flores wouldn’t say that Miami isn’t interested or was no longer pursuing Watson when directly asked Friday. The Dolphins have on-going trade talks with the Houston Texans, who would seemingly like to move Watson before the trade deadline.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl pick who has a no-trade clause, has reportedly only approved a trade to Miami.
Complicating matters is Watson’s legal troubles, which stem from 22 active civil lawsuits, all alleging he committed sexual misconduct with numerous massage therapist.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the owners meetings that the league still doesn’t have enough information about the lawsuits against Watson to make a decision on potential discipline. He also said there is not enough information to place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list, and that the league is waiting to see all the information gathered in the suits.
The Texans reportedly are seeking at least three first-round draft picks for Watson, who has been inactive for Houston’s first seven games. The Carolina Panthers have taken themselves out of the bidding, but it’s possible that Philadelphia and Denver remain interested.
Earlier this week the Houston Chronicle reported that the Dolphins and the Texans have a deal worked out for Watson, but the reported that the deal won’t be consummated until Watson’s legal troubles are behind him.
Until then, Tagovailoa will remain the quarterback behind center, and the Dolphins hope to see continued growth from the former Alabama standout.
“We have moved the ball fairly effectively the past few weeks. We can build on that,” Flores said when asked to evaluate Tagovailoa’s performance in losses to Jacksonville and Atlanta, the two games since the quarterback’s return from the rib injury he suffered the last time Miami faced the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins face the Bills again on Sunday at 1 p.m., this time in Buffalo.
Tagovailoa has thrown three troublesome interceptions, and two of them last week that cost the Dolphins points that could have turned last week’s 30-28 fourth-quarter loss to the Falcons into a victory.
“That is part of the learning process. There are a lot of decisions that he has to make to put us in good position and he has made a lot of them,” Flores said evaluating Tagovailoa. “He is fighting, clawing and scrapping to put us in a good position.”