Tua Tagovailoa will begin his second season on Sunday as the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins.
He will face his former Alabama teammate and two-time national champion, Mac Jones, the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. Jones supplanted Cam Newton as the starter six months after being selected at No. 15 overall in the NFL Draft.
RELATED: Drew Brees said Patriots’ QB Mac Jones was the ‘steal of the NFL Draft’
Tagovailoa wants to prove critics wrong and take the Dolphins to the playoffs.
He restructured his body in the offseason and performed well through training camp and preseason games.
His teammates have confidence in him, and despite rumors of Miami possibly getting Deshaun Watson in a trade from the Houston Texans, the team has remained firm on Tagovailoa. During Wednesday’s presser, Brian Flores discussed with local reporters what he wants to see from his signal-caller to open the Dolphins’ campaign.
Brian Flores: I want Tua to have fun playing his game. That’s part of this too. I love coaching football. I’m going to be having fun on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/o2uSPOmnHN
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) September 8, 2021
“I want to see the fundamentals,” Flores said. “Good technique, good communication, good decisions, and that he has fun playing his game. That is part of this too. Nobody talks about it, but that is part of it too. I love coaching football. I am going to be having fun on Sunday. I am doing what I love to do, and hopefully, you guys are doing what you love to do. That is what I am telling him to do.”
Tagovailoa had fun throughout training camp, especially with Jaylen Waddle as one of his wide receivers. He is fully healthy from a hip injury he suffered two years ago and is prepared to become a breakout player in the league. Tagovailoa is one of three former Crimson Tide quarterbacks that will start on Sunday. Alabama fans are looking forward to watching him.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “watch” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
