National Football League

Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa proving that he can be a franchise QB

Updated Dec. 12, 2021 4:38 p.m. ET

By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Analyst

Remember when any number of NFL team executives, scouts and coaches were clamoring for the services of Tua Tagovailoa after he dazzled with his playmaking ability at Alabama?

The Tua craze originally started when the freshman stepped onto the field in the second half of the 2018 national championship game and rallied the Crimson Tide to a win, capped by a 41-yard strike to DeVonta Smith in overtime.

In 2019, a "Tank for Tua" campaign dominated the headlines during the college football season. Tagovailoa's combination of talent, confidence, poise and clutch performance prompted observers from every corner to proclaim the left-handed gunslinger a future star.

Yet just a couple of years later, the football world decided that Tagovailoa is not a quality starting pro quarterback. Time flies in the NFL. That is the best way to describe the warp-speed nature of a league in which we make snap judgments on players before they can acclimate to the pro game.

Coming out of college, Tagovailoa drew comparisons to a young Drew Brees. The Bama product was expected to be not only the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft but also a star at the next level. While injuries and the emergence of Joe Burrow changed those plans, the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert to be the face of the franchise for the next decade.

The excitement and buzz over Tagovailoa’s talent and potential resulted in No. 1 jerseys popping up all over South Florida and fans geeking at the prospect of the young quarterback leading the Dolphins out of the doldrums.

Despite Tagovailoa's arriving to South Beach while still recovering from a hip injury that prematurely ended his time at Alabama, the lofty expectations remained, and patience left the building, particularly after Chargers QB Herbert shocked the NFL community with his spectacular play. With Tagovailoa spending most of his rookie season in a rotation with veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, doubts started to arise about his long-term potential.

Considering the changing landscape of the NFL, with teams moving on quickly from young quarterbacks, including former first-rounders after only one season (see: Josh Rosen), the concerns about Tagovailoa’s play turned into national headlines. The situation seemingly mushroomed into a five-alarm fire when reports of the Dolphins’ interest in Deshaun Watson emerged after the disgruntled Houston Texans star listed Miami as one of his preferred trade destinations.

In my 20-plus years as an NFL player, scout and analyst, I have never seen the circus atmosphere that has surrounded Tagovailoa, a prospect everyone labeled a "can’t miss" franchise QB three years ago. Watching the roller-coaster ride from afar has not only left me baffled but also made me reevaluate Tagovailoa. I wanted to see if I was wrong in my assessment of his talent and potential throughout the process.

I was not wrong.

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The second-year pro is every bit the franchise quarterback I expected him to be when I studied him at Alabama. Through 19 games, Tagovailoa has completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,759 pass yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 91.5 passer rating. With his 10-7 record as a starter, I cannot understand why there is so much noise in South Florida over his play and potential as a QB1.

Perhaps I am missing something when it comes to the way young quarterbacks are being evaluated, but it is difficult to find QBs who are accurate and take care of the football. Winning games is the bottom line in the NFL, and Tagovailoa does that while playing like a Blackjack dealer in a Las Vegas casino.

Sure, he's not as flashy as some other QBs around the league, but he is efficient and effective throwing the ball around the yard. In fact, the second-year pro’s playing style is similar to the way Brees attacked opponents for years. Tagovailoa is at his best delivering down the seam or within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. As a quick-rhythm passer with excellent feel for executing RPOs (run-pass options), Tagovailoa can carve up opponents with an assortment of "dink-and-dunk" passes that enable him to string together completions.

While I am not ready to proclaim Tagovailoa a future gold-jacket guy, it is not a stretch to see the similarities to Brees' games, particularly at the end of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. As an older quarterback, Brees thrived within a horizontal passing game, with the majority of his throws going to running backs, tight ends and receivers within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

In a perfect world, the Dolphins would stockpile the lineup with a collection of pass-catchers with exceptional quickness and running skills to turn short passes into big gains. The RPO-heavy offense is perfect for "catch-and-run" specialists with dynamic open-field running skills. In addition, the Dolphins need at least one big-bodied playmaker with the ability to win jump balls or back-shoulder fades against defensive backs.

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With their current personnel, the Dolphins have assembled a solid corps that complements Tagovailoa’s skills. Jaylen Waddle (catch-and-run playmaker), Devante Parker (fade/jump-ball specialist) and Mike Gesicki (mismatch player) have settled into their roles on the perimeter.

Waddle, in particular, has flourished in the RPO-based system, with the ball frequently heading his way on an assortment of slants, quick outs and crossers with run-action in the backfield. The rookie has six games with at least eight receptions and is on pace to shatter Anquan Boldin’s all-time rookie record (103).

Based on their time together at Alabama, Waddle has helped Tagovailoa find his groove as a passer this season. He has posted a passer rating of at least 100.0 in each of the Dolphins’ past four games, which has keyed the team’s five-game winning streak (four starts for Tagovailoa).

Considering how efficiently Tagovailoa is playing, I am surprised more observers are not raving about him. We hear about his former Alabama teammate Mac Jones daily, but when you compare their numbers (Jones: 70.3% completion rate, 2,869 pass yards, 16-8 TD-INT and 97.1 rating), there is not much difference in their performance.

Moreover, when you consider that each is thriving utilizing a small-ball approach, I believe the Dolphins have their franchise quarterback in place if they continue to prioritize complementary football like their AFC East rivals. The Dolphins have reeled off five straight wins behind a complementary approach, with a dominant defense allowing 11 points per game during the streak while producing 3.8 sacks and 2.2 takeaways per game.

With Tagovailoa taking care of the ball and being efficient, the Dolphins should stick with their young quarterback as he begins to master the art of playing winning football. If Brian Flores & Co. are not overly concerned about style points or showcasing their quarterback, the Dolphins have found their franchise QB.

He wears No. 1.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.