In the worst kept secret in sports, Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores on Wednesday confirmed what had been reported by ESPN and The Miami Herald on Tuesday:
Rookie Tua Tagovailoa will replace Ryan Fitzpatrick as the team’s new starting quarterback, beginning Nov. 1 against the Los Angeles Rams at Hard Rock Stadium.
Why now?
“We feel like that’s the best thing for the team,” Flores said. “It’s not an easy decision for me, for us as an organization.”
The decision appears to have been made by Monday night.
“We talked about it as a staff, personnel department, felt like it was the best move for the team right now,” Flores said. “That’s how we’re going to move forward.”
Two weeks ago, Flores didn’t think Tagovailoa was ready. What changed between then and now?
“It’s like any other situation. Sometimes a guy week out, two weeks out, three weeks out, we talk about situations like this on a weekly basis. This is no different that that. Through practice and meetings and walk-throughs, he’s ready. That’s how we’re going to go moving forward.”
Asked how Tagovailoa has looked in practice, Flores said: “We’ve seen a lot of improvement from Tua. He’s gotten more comfortable. Accuracy, decision-making, all those things have been good in practice. But practice is very different from the games.
“We are going to do everything we can from a meeting, walk-through, practice standpoint to get him ready to play in a game. We’re confident he’ll be able to be competitive in those games when the time comes. It’s not just one person. We’re going to need contributions from everyone.”
Did the fact the Dolphins have a bye this week have any impact on the decision?
“I don’t think it hurts, but we feel like this was the best move for our team right now,” Flores said. “Fitz has done a great job, been productive. We feel for the team moving forward, this is a move we need to make.”
Did his two completions late in Sunday’s game help Tagovailoa’s chances of starting?
“That’s just part of the evaluation,” Flores said. “That’s been ongoing since we got here in training camp. No different than any other player. Every lifting session, [everything we do is]… all part of the evaluation.”
How different will the offense be moving forward?
Flores said that will depend on the opponent: “What they do well, what their weaknesses are, what their strengths are. Offenses are different every week. Fitz did a lot for us offensively, getting guys lined up. Tua is going to have to do a good job of that as well. We’ll need everybody to step up.”
Flores was unhappy the news broke before he informed the team.
“Unfortunate I didn’t get a chance to address the team before this was out,” Flores said. “This is not how I want to do business. Unfortunately this is the way of the world right now. I’m not happy about that at all. I will apologize to the team they had to find out through social media. I don’t think that’s fair to them.”
Flores praised Fitzpatrick for his work as a starter most of last season and the first six games of this season and for his intangible contributions:
“Fitz has been great the last two years, year and a half,” Flores said. “I don’t know that there’s been anyone more instrumental trying to instill a culture and embody what we’re looking for — toughness, competitiveness, team first [attitude].
“He’s made an impact on Tua and a lot of players on this team. I have a great respect for him. That made this decision very tough. But as a team, we felt this was the best thing to do for our team moving forward is go with Tua.
“Fitz’s impact on the team will still be there. He’s been a tremendous asset and leader on this team.”
