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NFL Sophomore Watch: Tua Tagovailoa might be traded

By Andrew Fischer

Oct 17, 2021; London, England, United Kingdom; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws the ball in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2021; London, England, United Kingdom; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws the ball in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Dec 27, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) rolls out of the pocket against the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

2021 and Beyond

Many great quarterbacks have struggled their rookie season and gone on to good and even great careers. Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning holds the record for interceptions thrown by a rookie quarterback with 28 in 1998. NFL signal callers can grow and learn from the lumps they take early on in their careers. But they need to be on the field to do that.

The injury bug bit Tua Tagovailoa again in 2021. In week 2 against the Buffalo Bills Tua was hit hard by Buffalo pass rusher AJ Epenesa on a fourth down pass attempt. He was visibly in pain on the field and eventually took a cart to the locker room. It was later announced that Tua Tagovailoa had broken several ribs. He missed a month before returning to the field last Sunday in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In that game, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns. The problem was, he only averaged 7 yards per attempt, threw an interception, and his team lost to an atrocious and previously winless Jaguars team.

The NFL trade deadline is November 2nd. As of this writing that’s less than two weeks away. There have been many rumors linking the Miami Dolphins to currently inactive Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is facing several allegations and has yet to play a game for the Houston Texans this year. As of right now, Watson is technically eligible to play. But the NFL is conducting its own investigation into Watson’s conduct, and it remains to be seen if he will eventually be suspended.

Before these allegations came to light, Deshaun Watson had demanded a trade away from the Houston Texans. He had signed a massive 4-year, $156 million extension in September of 2020 with the assurance that he would have input on personnel decisions, including the hiring of the head coach and the general manager. The Texans promptly hired GM Nick Caserio without consulting Watson at all and they initially ignored Watson’s request that the team interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy for the head coaching job. Then the allegations came to light.

The link between Tua Tagovailoa and Deshaun Watson is that if the Dolphins were to bring in Watson, they would almost certainly be shipping Tagovailoa out of town, either to the Texans or to  a different franchise.

Regardless of whether a deal for Watson actually gets done, the fact that the Dolphins are actively trying to bring in another quarterback (especially one with this much baggage), should tell you all you need to know regarding their feelings about Tua Tagovailoa. They don’t think he’s “the guy.”

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