Tua Tagovailoa or Jacoby Brissett? Dolphins HC confirms who the starting QB will be in Week 11
Going into Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens, Tua Tagovailoa had a fractured finger on his throwing hand. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett started in place of the 2020 first-round pick and didn't excel the way his team was hoping for. He completed just under 50 percent of his passes and led the Miami Dolphins to three field-goal drives.
But in the third quarter, Brissett suffered a knee injury that gave Tua Tagovailoa the starting job for the rest of the game. Tagovailoa led a touchdown drive and played very well in relief of Brissett.
Now, fans want to know who the Dolphins will start in Week 11 and the rest of the season. Head coach Brian Flores provided some clarity on that after the game.
"He's our quarterback," Brian Flores said of Tua Tagovailoa. He said he was trying to protect him last night, and team has to take it day to day with both him and Jacoby Brissett.
Brian Flores confirms Tua Tagovailoa will be the Dolphins' starting quarterback
Flores understands this season is about Tagovailoa and his audition tape for the future. The Dolphins explored the idea of acquiring Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the offseason, which is something that could come back around after this year.
Tagovailoa has seven games left to make a case for him being the quarterback of the future. Flores said:
"Jacoby was banged up yesterday, same with Tua. I thought Tua did a good job of fighting through the discomfort. He banged his finger too during the game too, which is what we were trying to avoid. So I think this situation with Tua, obviously I've said many times, he's our quarterback."
Tagovailoa is a polarizing player to evaluate. He's missed ten games due to injury in his young career and has made plenty of mistakes. But he's also showcased good arm talent and accuracy at times, like against the Ravens.
Jacoby Brissett: 13/23, 156 yards, 70.2 rating
Tua Tagovailoa: 8/13, 158 yards, 104 rating
Tagovailoa was notable for not starting in Week 10. He was the backup quarterback despite being injured. Fans have called Flores' faith in Tagovailoa into question as a result of choosing to start Brissett.
Flores had a response to those questions as well. His response shut down rumors that the Dolphins lost faith in Tagovailoa, which is why he didn't start. Flores said:
"We're not trying to turn this into a controversial situation where we don't want this certain player to play. I think I try to look out for the best interest of the players individually, the team. All of those things play a role in the decisions we make. That was the case last night."
Tagovailoa is only in the second year of his contract, but the pressure and expectations on him are high. He is under a lot of pressure to be the savior of the franchise.
For the remainder of the season, Tagovailoa's future is on the line.