Tua Should Start for the Miami Dolphins, Just Not Week 1

With the NFL Draft now over, the debate on drafting a quarterback has ended. However, the debate on who should be under center come week 1 is still raging. In forums and on social media fans are going back and forth on whether the Miami Dolphins should start newly added Tua Tagovailoa or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

As much as fans are willing to turn the page and start their future, for the Dolphins it won’t be that easy.

First, Tagovailoa will have to prove without a shadow of a doubt he can lead the team. The biggest factor when it came to Fitzpatrick beating out Josh Rosen last season was leadership and command of an offense. His teammates trusted him, he had command of the offense, and he put them in the best spot to win. Starting quarterbacks need to have more than just talent, they have to be the field general that teammates trust with the game on the line.

More Miami Dolphins: No Tua Won’t Be the Next Marino.

Second, no matter how talented Tua is and how well he plays, it comes down to more than his skill set. Miami went out and built a wall in front of Tua to ensure his success. Their success will ultimately lead to his. The Dolphins aren’t going to put a quarterback coming off injury behind a patchwork line until they can learn their assignments and execute.

Granted they picked up a lot of talent with complementary skill sets but they’ll face a tough opponent before the season starts, the South Florida heat. The Dolphins didn’t just go out and get skilled lineman, they went out and got big bruisers to push people around. Strength and conditioning might take their mental toll early in the season while they adjust to the new system.

Finally, it comes down to chemistry. Practice all you want, it takes time for a quarterback and receiver to get on the same page. You learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and learn to play off them. Quarterback isn’t just learning the playbook and throwing clean passes. Not every pass is going to be perfect and QBs have to learn how to make the best of a bad pass. That comes down to how each receiver adjusts. Which of your receivers better catches a ball that’s a little behind? Which receiver can go up and get a high throw? Who can go down and get a ball that’s basically in the dirt?

These aren’t factors that are developed in camp alone. If Tua was coming for with a Dolphins team that was just outside a playoff spot it would be different. Miami isn’t just a quarterback away. There are a ton of moving pieces when it comes to the Dolphins and their success that goes beyond Tua Tagovailoa’s skill set. The likelihood of them all coming together by week 1is very low. They’d be better off keeping the veteran QB under center until things come together fully.

By all means, if all those things come together by week 1, start the rookie. However, expecting it to happen might just be inviting in disappointment. Tua Tagovailoa might be the future for the Miami Dolphins, but the future might have to start a little later than week 1.