Tua Tagovailoa downgraded to doubful for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets
The Miami Dolphins called on veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead the hurry-up offense in the closing minutes of last week’s 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos, hoping the 16-year veteran had a little Fitzmagic left in his tank.
A thumb injury Tua Tagovailoa suffered to his throwing hand during this week’s practice encourages Miami’s decision makers to put the team back into Fitzpatrick’s hands - even if it’s only for one weekend - as the team makes a push to qualify for the postseason.
Tagovailoa, a former Alabama standout whom the Dolphins used the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft to select, was downgraded to doubtful on Saturday, likely because the thumb injury he suffered in Wednesday’s practice impacts his ability to throw the football with velocity.
Tagovailoa was handed the Dolphins starting spot four weeks ago because the team hoped to speed up his development by starting him in the season’s final 10 games.
The rookie won his first three starts, but was pulled in the fourth quarter of last week’s game after struggling against the Broncos defense, which sacked him six times.
Fitzpatrick replaced Tagovailoa and completed 12-of-18 passes, throwing for 117 yards. He drove the offense into the red zone, but threw an interception inside the end zone in the game’s closing minutes that sealed the loss.
After the game head coach Brian Flores and Fitzpatrick insisted that Tagavailoa was Miami’s starter moving forward, and that the rookie would learn and grow from his struggles. But neither expected a thumb injury would impact his ability to lead the offense heading into Sunday’s game.
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