National outlet delivers a harsh but fair assessment of Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has been a lightning rod of controversy among not just the Dolphins' fan base, but also much of the NFL media.   Does he merit a mega extension north of $50 million per year?  Where does he fall in the pantheon of all quarterbacks in the league?   Pro Football Focus took […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has been a lightning rod of controversy among not just the Dolphins' fan base, but also much of the NFL media.  

Does he merit a mega extension north of $50 million per year?  Where does he fall in the pantheon of all quarterbacks in the league?  

Pro Football Focus took a shot at answering the second question on Monday, as they released their tier list of all starting QBs in the league.  Tagovailoa checked in under "Tier 4: The Melting Pot of Starters" at #14 overall.

It was the best season yet for the former No. 5 overall pick, as the talented Tagovailoa earned the highest passing grade in the regular season of any quarterback (88.9) and made 35 big-time throws, good for third in the league. However, his 3.5% turnover-worthy play rate was higher than every other quarterback in the top five of big-time throws, and his 25 turnover-worthy plays were the fifth most.

When the play goes according to plan, Tua can be a surgeon; he had the lowest time to throw of any starting quarterback (2.33 seconds). But interestingly enough, he had the most turnover-worthy plays in the NFL when there was no pressure. His grade takes a significant dip when he is pressured, but he can still be productive if what he expects to see is there.

Tua’s arm is adequate for the NFL level, but it doesn't get him out of trouble. either. He trusts head coach and play-caller Mike McDaniel a lot, which is a good thing, but there are times when he is too reliant on what the play should be and not what the best decision actually is post-snap. – Trevor Sikkema, Pro Footbal Focus

Tagovailoa checked in as the fourth of nine quarterbacks in the Tier 4 category.  While I don't agree with the exact placement within the group, the Dolphins' starter hasn't proven he's quite in the category yet of those in the tier above him.  Yes, it's titled "Postseason-Caliber QBs", and yes, Tua played in the postseason last year for the first time, but it's really hard to count what we saw in the Dolphins' 26-7 loss to the Chiefs as postseason-caliber play.  As such, I think him being in a tier with Jared Goff and Brock Purdy isn't unreasonable – although Goff has probably shown he deserves better after the last two strong seasons. 

I would put Tagovailoa higher in the Tier 4 list than the likes of Trevor Lawrence – even though he's won a playoff game – and probably even Jordan Love, who went on a hot streak for a good chunk of 2023.  Tagovailoa has shown more over a longer period of time than Love, and Lawrence's streaky play and turnovers (60 total turnovers in 50 games to Tua's 45 in 53 games) is a major issue for me.

 We'll see soon enough what Dolphins' general manager Chris Grier thinks over the remainder of the offseason, as he and Tagovailoa's camp work to reach a long-term agreement.  The Dolphins' offer will do the talking on what they think of him. 

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