Once upon a time, quite recently in fact, Tua Tagovailoa was an insanely hyped NFL prospect. In my opinion the hype was not all that warranted. I think the hype mostly came from the fact that he's from Alabama and is slightly mobile. But otherwise, I never really got the hype.
I don't think Tua is terrible, in fact I actually thought he was gonna be god awful, so the fact that he's kinda decent at times has surprised me.
In general I just have mixed emotions when it comes to what I think Tua can be. I am more annoyed at the media for creating a hype train about him.
The media hyped Tua up so much to the point that now a lot of people are kinda 'turning' on him in regards to his ability to be an NFL star or even a starter for that matter. The Tua debate is a very interesting and polarizing one in the NFL world.
I'm not gonna lie, for awhile I kinda hated on the man's skills, mostly just in spite of the silly hype that got built around him.
Now, I'm kind of at the mixed emotion stage. I kinda feel bad for the guy sometimes. He is not terrible, he's just not Joe Montana.
I'm starting to wonder if all this media attention and speculation is possibly fueling Tua, and he plays his best football this upcoming season.
There's massive pressure on Tua this season. He will be a third year player. Even I, who prefers teams be patient with quarterbacks rather than just rushing them on the field, will admit that the time for so-so and inconsistent play needs to pretty much end for Tua for the most part in 2022-23. Tua's play needs to click this year, he needs to make the franchise really believe. He also needs to actually play a full season.
The Dolphins have Tyreke Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Mike Gesicki and company to throw too. The Dolphins defense has actually been solid as far as I can tell, but then again I don't closely follow the Dolphins.
If Tua can manage to maximize his potential and just totally work, he could be similar to like a mobile Drew Brees, or Russell Wilson but with weaker arm strength.
Ugh, why would anyone choose this image for Tua's card? I guess it's interesting in terms of like, looking back on this card in the future. But still, gross. I can't believe people are still wearing these things nowadays.
Not a rookie card, but close. Still a decent card of a very young Tua.
Tua does manage to win games pretty well in two seasons. He's 13-8 as a starting QB. That's decent enough, no doubt.
Tua has compiled stats that look like this in his two professional seasons:
- 27 Touchdown Passes
- 15 Interceptions
- 4,467 Passing Yards
- 66.2 Percent Completion Percentage
Tua also contributed 237 rushing yards and six touchdowns with his legs.
On paper, he actually looks solid, and I guess in a way he is. But with Tua, he seems hesitant, does he really have the 'it factor'? Is he capable of winning a championship?
It's more of the eye test than anything else, and he's had some bad moments on the field that make ya sorta shake your head. But he's had some impressive moments and throws as well.
Like I said, this year is big for Tua. The Dolphins are a team with a pretty rich history other than the past 20-25 years or so. They have a low-key pretty massive fanbase, especially like dudes 40 and up I would imagine. Miami itself, is a pretty lively, large city with a large market.
Typing this out I feel the pressure and suspense building.
What do you think, is Tua a franchise QB or not?
Tua's college highlights while he was at Alabama!
This video talks about a Dolphins player setting up a meeting with Drew Brees himself and Tua! I just comped Tua with Drew, pretty cool!
A pretty recent interview with Tua!
I'm not truly rooting for the guy, since he's in the AFC with my Titans, but I wouldn't mind to see him surprise some people I guess.
Time will tell, the season is just around the corner!
