It looks like Tua Tagovailoa’s brief cameo under center against New York Jets on Sunday wasn’t a cameo after all. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Miami Dolphins decided to install Tagovailoa as the full-time starter for the rest of the season.
Tagovailoa, who was selected No.5 in the 2020 NFL Draft, made his pro debut against the Jets. He entered the contest just before the two-minute warning, attempting two passes and completing both before the clock run out.
This evidently was all that Dolphins needed to see, as Tagovailoa will take the command of the offense moving forward. Considering Miami has a bye week, the 22-year-old Alabama product will make his first start in Week 8 against LA Rams.
It comes as a surprise that Dolphins decided to make a switch, especially considering that veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick played well so far in the season. With Fitzpatrick as signal-caller, Dolphins are 3-3 this season, sitting one game behind the top spot in AFC East.
But Miami obviously felt that Tua Tagovailoa had enough time to prepare in these past six weeks and that he can perform on a high level. Also, the Dolphins do not have the imperative of making the playoffs this season, which leaves Tagovailoa with a bigger margin for errors.
