It's Now All About Tua ... At Least for 2021

Tua Tagovailoa no longer has to deal with Deshaun Watson trade speculation, but how long will that last for the Miami Dolphins quarterback?

The speculation can end when it comes to the Miami Dolphins quarterback situation for the rest of the 2021 season now that the NFL trading deadline has come and gone because Deshaun Watson isn't coming this year and it's unequivocally Tua Tagovailoa's show the rest of the way.

But given the very real interest the Dolphins showed in making a trade for Watson before ultimately deciding against it in light of the civil lawsuits hanging over the Texans quarterback's head, is that all the time remaining for Tua as the Miami starter?

Because a potential trade for Watson went so far as owner Stephen Ross talking with the quarterback Monday night after being granted permission by the Texans, one would imagine it's an idea the Dolphins very well might want to revisit next spring when trades will be allowed again.

There is obviously something that could change the Dolphins' minds about pursuing Watson, and that would be deciding they already have their quarterback of the future on the roster.

And, fair or not, that might be what the final nine regular season games will be all about for Tagovailoa.

Sure, it would be great if he could somehow lead the Dolphins on a great season-ending run that somehow would end up snatching a playoff spot, but that's not realistic at this time given all the issues the team has demonstrated during its atrocious 1-7 start.

More than that, the rest of the 2021 season for the Dolphins should be all about Tua and getting as thorough an evaluation as possible to make a final determination next offseason whether they should resume their pursuit of Watson — or another franchise quarterback — or continue to ride with Tua.

And, yes, we understand Tua might not be operating under the greatest of circumstances, particularly because of the state of the offensive line, but bona fide franchise quarterbacks can have some degree of success without everything being up to par around them.

Let's put it this way, if you require a solid offensive line, solid running game and solid receivers around you to consistently perform at a high level, you're not a franchise quarterback.

TUA'S 2021 SEASON SO FAR

To be sure, Tua has shown signs of progress in his second season in the NFL after an uneven rookie season and he's had some really good performances, but it's not franchise quarterback material yet. What's been missing has been the ability to consistently push the ball downfield — and, no, it's not all about the offensive line not providing decent enough pass protection — and consistently solid performances against good defenses.

It's one thing to produce against Jacksonville and Atlanta (and we suspect against Houston this Sunday), but it needs to be done consistently against better opposition, such as Buffalo or the Baltimore Ravens, who the Dolphins will face a week from Thursday.

The idea of a nine-game audition of sorts for Tua might not be fair considering he's just 18 months removed from the Dolphins making him the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, but that's life in the NFL. Franchises simply don't have the time or patience to wait very long for first-round quarterbacks to develop.

If we're being honest, it also wasn't the best of circumstances that talk of Dolphins interest in trading for Watson kept surfacing on and off throughout the offseason and then became nonstop in the days leading up to the trading deadline.

The Dolphins could have stopped the talk at any point by simply saying they were not going to trade for a quarterback in 2021, but they didn't because they couldn't. And that was because they did want to trade for a quarterback this year, a specific quarterback.

And what does that say about their view of Tua? Well, it pretty clear says they think that Deshaun Watson is far superior because they were ready to surrender three first-round picks (or whatever the cost would have ended up being) for a quarterback with some clear baggage.

All along, head coach Brian Flores has expressed to the media his support for Tua and talked about his improvement and his development, but that's exactly what he was supposed to say. The Dolphins' interest in Watson spoke louder.

The Dolphins absolutely will be back supporting Tua 100 percent now that the trade deadline has passed, and there's certainly nothing more they'd like to see than for him to flourish in the final nine games of the season.

If that happens, it could cause them to reconsider going after a quarterback in the offseason or simply would increase his trade value if the Dolphins still decide to move on from him.

The bottom line is the Watson watch is over — either permanently or at least until next offseason.

It's Tua time the rest of the way.