Even as his legal situation remains incredibly tangled, Deshaun Watson remains a popular name in trade talks. One of the teams most frequently connected to him is the Miami Dolphins, though it certainly doesn’t look like a surprise move is on the horizon before the season starts.
Tua Tagovailoa enters his first year as the full-time starter for Miami, after an up-and-down rookie year. With veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick off in Washington, the Fins will go as far as the former Alabama star takes them.
Head coach Brian Flores reportedly addressed the team about the persistent Watson rumors today. He tried his best to put them to bed, and throw his full support behind Tua as we near Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
Per Jeff Darlington, he called Tagovailoa “our quarterback” in the meeting. In 10 games last year, Tua completed 64.1-percent of his throws for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions, adding three touchdowns on the ground. He looked overmatched at times, though the fact that he played at all last year, coming off of the scary hip injury suffered during his final year at Alabama, was a great sign.
I’m told Dolphins coach Brian Flores just addressed his team regarding recent reports tying Miami to a possible trade for Deshaun Watson. Sources say he told players and staff that Tua Tagovailoa is “our quarterback” in a brief but poignant endorsement of the QB. (quick thread)
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) August 31, 2021
Darlington says he doesn’t dispute that the Dolphins may have been in discussions about Deshaun Watson, one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Still, it looks pretty clear that as of today, Tua is the guy for the franchise, and he has an opportunity to lock that in this season.
So wherever it started, wherever it’s going, here’s what you can take away: Less than two weeks before the season’s start, Flores made clear to his team that Tua is indeed their quarterback, and I expect him to echo a similar sentiment in the weeks to come.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) August 31, 2021
The Dolphins were a surprise team in the AFC East last year, going 10-6 and finishing behind the emergent Buffalo Bills. Miami has serious playoff aspirations, and they’ll need a dialed in, confident Tagovailoa to get them there.
The post Brian Flores Reportedly Had Message For Players About Deshaun Watson appeared first on The Spun.
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