Tua Tagovailoa is the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. He played high school football in Hawaii and committed to Alabama as a four-star prospect. At Alabama, he was the backup quarterback to sophomore Jalen Hurts. In the 2018 National Championship, however, he replaced Hurts and threw the game winning touchdown pass. Tagovailoa’s sophomore season was wildly successful, and he finished second in the Heisman voting to Kyler Murray. In the Orange Bowl, he was nearly perfect, completing 24 of 27 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, helping send Alabama to the National Championship.
Tua Tagovailoa's junior year at Alabama (2019) was cut short during a game against Mississippi State when he was hit awkwardly and suffered a dislocated hip, broken nose and concussion. Later on that season, he announced he would declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. His college stats are legendary: 12.7 Adjusted Passing Yards Per Attempt, a 199.4 Passing Efficiency Rating, and 9.8 Total Yards Per Play. He also finished with a 94.8 (98th percentile) College QBR. He logged a 4.79 40 time and measured at a height of 6-0 with a hand size of 10 inches.
Tagovailoa was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, just ahead of Justin Herbert. Tua’s first live game action came in Week 6 of his rookie season, which was the first time a left-handed QB played in an NFL game since 2015. The team later named him the starter just before Week 8, and he went on to lead the Dolphins to three straight wins before jamming his thumb. He missed multiple games, finishing the 2020 season with mixed results but a 7.9 (No. 1) Accuracy Rating.
Going into the 2021 NFL season, Tagovailoa had an ADP of 145 (QB18). He suffered a rib injury in Week 2 which kept him out of action for the next three full games. He returned to action in Week 6, but didn’t play up to the standard he set for himself while in college. Still, he finished the season No. 1 in both Red Zone Completion Percentage (64.9-percent) and Deep Ball Completion Percentage (50.0-percent). Tua was drafted between two franchise-altering quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, so he is held to an incredibly high standard. He began establishing his place as one of the most effective passers in the NFL in 2022.
With Tagovailoa still on a rookie contract, Miami had the necessary cap space to trade for Tyreek Hill during the 2022 offseason. Hill's 4-year deal included over $72 million guaranteed. Tua thrived in Mike McDaniels' offense with Hill and Jaylen Waddle as his primary passing game weapons. He continued his trademark accuracy, posting a 7.9 (No. 7) Accuracy Rating and 50.0-percent Deep Ball Accuracy (No. 1), all while leading the league with 8.8 Adjusted Air Yards Per Attempt. Tua had plenty of questions surrounding his durability heading into 2023, but he was able to play through the entire season. Not only did he remain healthy, but he set career highs in completion percentage (69.3%), passing yards (4,624), and passing touchdowns (29). His next hurdle to jump will be to succeed in the playoffs, specifically in games where harsh weather is a factor.
