The bridge between the Miami Dolphins‘ current place and the Super Bowl runs across Tua Tagovailoa’s back. However, the quarterback’s health has been a concern in recent years and could cause the bridge to crumble.
During a recent episode of The Colin Cowherd Podcast, Cowherd explained why he has serious doubts about Tagovailoa.
Some of the reasons he listed consisted of a difficult AFC East division and the quarterback’s health. He declared that although Tagovailoa was healthy last season, it was one of the only healthy years “of his life.” A small early injury could send the franchise reeling, in his estimation.
NFL analyst John Middlekauff also agreed with Cowherd, perhaps taking it one step further. “I don’t take [the Dolphins] seriously at all,” he declared. “I don’t care what their record is in September.”
Despite Tagovailoa and the Dolphins showing some flashes, at least two NFL analysts are seemingly out on the team. With Miami also dragging its feet in extending Tagovailoa, it appears the team might also have some reservations about going all-in on the quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa receives impressive influx of brand-name talent amid negotiations
While the Dolphins never made any Tyreek Hill-esque trades or free-agent additions this year, the roster appears better.
The defensive side of the ball has added Jordan Poyer, Shaquil Barrett, and Calais Campbell. Barrett’s name looms large as he racked up 19.5 sacks in 2019 and posted a 10-sack campaign in 2021.
On offense, the team’s big addition was wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who has at least a superstitious reason to believe in him.
Beckham’s teams have won the Super Bowl and reached the AFC Championship Game in each of the last two seasons in which he has played. The Rams won it all with him in 2021 and the Ravens reached the game before the Super Bowl last season (Beckham sat out all of 2022).
With such a major influx of talent, the bar for Tagovailoa appears to be set at a playoff win. If he fails to win a playoff game, it might be time for a new era in Miami.
Of course, all of that becomes a moot point if the Dolphins fork over a blockbuster extension to Tagovailoa this offseason. However, if they wait, they risk rubbing Tagovailoa the wrong way, which doesn’t help the team, either.
At this point, the Dolphins are stuck in the middle. Will they find a way to navigate these troubled waters unscathed over the next 12 months?
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