Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa admitted his short stature affects his play, but is that a trick?
Is it that he’s too short or should his receivers be ‘spacing’ more? Either way you cut it, the Dolphins QB may have found an interesting way, to affect his own narrative.
While we appreciate his honesty, we’re not entirely sure it matters that much as the Dolphins young talent definitely looks like he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa admits he’s ‘small’
There’s no doubt that NFL teams and managers carefully consider a quarterback’s height when deciding if to go with him or not. Yes, we’ve seen the likes of Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and more recently Kyler Murray all find success in the league and true, none of them are the biggest guy in the room. Yet, like it or not, height matters when you’re the man in the middle. Consider for a moment, that one needs to be able to see clearly over the offensive line, in order to scope deep into the field ahead.
This brings us to Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. Having measured just 6-foot tall at the 2020 NFL Combine - curiously he’s listed at 6-1 on the Dolphins roster - Tagovailoa is one of the shortest signal callers in the league. Funnily, it’s a fact that he doesn’t he doesn’t hide from either. “For me, for instance if we have a slant and we have an over-the-ball player, and another player in the alley and the flat. For me, I can’t see because I’m not the biggest guy out there,” Tagovailoa this week. “So, if I can’t see you, you can’t see me, I can’t get you the ball. Spacing...with the guys. So, if you can’t see me, get somewhere to where you can see me then I can see you, then I can hit you.”
Is Tua Tagovailoa trying to cover himself?
Here’s the thing. On the one hand you’ve got to respect Tagovailoa for doing something the average quarterback would never do. In addition, he also touched on what can be done to compensate for his lack of stature, which is to say, ‘spacing.’ Yet, on the other we’ve got to mention that Miami’s QB is perhaps one of the most divisive in the league. Consistently inconsistent, Tagovailoa has certainly got talent, but his inability to showcase it game in and game out has become an issue for many. In light of that, one has to ask whether Miami’s ‘man,’ is simply trying to cover his tracks.
Now in his third season, Tagovailoa completed a credible 23 of 33 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown during the Dolphins’ 20-7 season-opening victory over the New England Patriots. With the win, he’s now got himself an impressive 4-0 record against Bill Belichick’s men. Only John Elway has as many against the man that most fans view as the greatest coach of the modern era. Once again, Tua has got the talent, but the real question this season will be, whether or not this young QB can take advantage of the varying tweaks that have been made to Miami’s roster, and ultimately prove to us whether or not he’s worth the hype.