Dolphins 2022 Review: QB Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa made some major strides in his third NFL season, but questions remain with the Miami Dolphins quarterback

With the Miami Dolphins’ season coming to an end after a loss to the division rival Bills in the wild-card playoff round, it's time to review the seasons of some of the team’s best players.

This series will include each player’s stats, best game, worst game, positives, negatives and outlook for the offseason.

Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback

Stats: 64.8 completion percentage, 3,548 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 8 INTs

Best Game: 39-17 Win vs. Cleveland Browns

While Tagovailoa’s 469-yard and six-touchdown performance against the Ravens in Week 3 undoubtedly was his best statistical game, it wasn’t his most complete game on film.

Against the Browns, Tagovailoa completed 78 percent of his passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions while finishing with a passer rating of 135.0 — 11 points higher than his rating against the Ravens.

On film, Tagovailoa made some of his better throws of the season against Cleveland. There was no need for a comeback in that game because Miami never trailed after falling behind 7-0 in the opening drive and tying the score.

Worst Game: 23-17 Loss vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Tagovailoa completed just 35 percent of his passes in a prime-time loss against fellow 2020 first-round pick Justin Herbert. Yikes.

The Chargers had answers for everything Miami’s offense was trying to do — except Terron Armstead intentionally hitting a fumble to Tyreek Hill — and Tagovailoa clearly wasn’t ready for it.

Positive Takeaways

Despite how the season ended for Tagovailoa, there are a lot of positives from his performance in 2022.

For starters, Tagovailoa proved he could lead an explosive offense and work incredibly effectively in Mike McDaniel’s scheme. The former Alabama quarterback finished first in the NFL in passer rating this season.

All of Tagovailoa’s stats improved this season, too. He increased his touchdown output from 16 to 25 while throwing two fewer interceptions than he did in 2021. His 3,548 passing yards eclipsed his previous career high by 895 yards.

All of these increases came as Tagovailoa played in the same amount of games as last season and only threw 12 additional passing attempts.

Tagovailoa proved he had a higher ceiling than what he did in 2020 and 2021. The Dolphins surrounded him with talent, and he rewarded them with a consistent and effective offense.

The Dolphins know they have a quality NFL starter in Tagovailoa when he’s on the field. They didn’t know that coming into the season.

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Negative Takeaways

Unfortunately, most of the focus here has to be on Tagovailoa’s injuries. Tagovailoa played in only 13 games for a second season in a row.

After entering concussion protocol following the team’s loss against the Green Bay Packers, he missed two crucial games for Miami’s playoff chances. The Dolphins were both lucky to beat the Jets with Skylar Thompson and lucky the Patriots drew the Bills in Week 18.

Tagovailoa’s injury history now includes multiple ankle surgeries, hip surgery, rib fractures, thumb fractures and two concussions from this season.

When it comes to his on-field performance, Tagovailoa’s film still shows a player clearly limited by a lack of physical traits. His arm strength checks the box, but there are throws he can’t make, and his mobility doesn’t allow him to create outside of structure consistently.

Additionally, the 49ers and Chargers games proved Tagovailoa isn’t great at adapting to defenses on the fly. We covered some of the adjustments Tagovailoa could have made against the Chargers and 49ers earlier in the season.

Offseason Outlook

Attempting to predict Tagovailoa’s future outlook is difficult without more clarity on his medical situation. However, it’s easy to see Year 4 is going to be a pivotal one for Tagovailoa. He’ll officially be extension-eligible for the first time.

Since Miami doesn’t have a first-round pick and is projected to be $9 million over the cap, according to Spotrac, it seems likely Tagovailoa will be back as the team’s starter in 2023, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported and head coach Mike McDaniel seemed to confirm after the playoff game at Buffalo.

Fellow 2020 quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Herbert and Jalen Hurts already have proven they deserve contract extensions, but Tagovailoa’s situation will be a little more complicated.

He’s a good but not elite quarterback with an extensive injury history and has yet to prove he can win a big game. His injuries aren’t his fault, but they will factor into Miami’s decision to sign him long term and whether they add legitimate competition this offseason.

Tagovailoa took a step in the right direction this season and clearly showed he was a quality NFL starter, but the way his season ended raises just as many questions as he answered this season. 

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