There were a lot of questions about Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa heading into 2023, but he has answered all of them thus far.
Not only has Tagovailoa stayed healthy the entire season through the first nine weeks, but he is also playing like an MVP candidate. He is leading the NFL in passing yards (2,609), passing touchdowns (19) and passer rating (106.4) while completing 69.5 percent of his throws.
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has loved watching Tagovailoa blossom.
“I feel like this year, having Tua as vocal as he’s been this whole entire year, it’s gonna be a beautiful thing,” Hill said on his It Needed To Be Said podcast this week. “Hearing that from QB1 is awesome man, just seeing his growth, seeing how much he has took ownership of that position of not just quarterback, franchise quarterback—it’s a beautiful thing.”
Hill has been Tagovailoa’s favorite target with 69 receptions this season and is leading the NFL in both receiving yards (1,076) and receiving touchdowns (eight). He is on pace to shatter the single-season record for receiving yards, which is held by former Detroit Lions wide out Calvin Johnson.
Tagovailoa, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was selected by Miami with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He played in 10 games and made nine starts during his rookie campaign, totaling 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 64.1 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 87.1. He posted slightly better numbers his second season but didn’t truly break out until last year, when he threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight picks while completing 64.8 percent of his passes and registering a passer rating of 105.5 in 13 games.
Not surprisingly, Tua Tagovailoa’s ascension has coincided with the arrival of Tyreek Hill, whom the Dolphins acquired via trade in March 2022.
Miami is 6-3 and has a Week 10 bye. It will battle the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 19.
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