Talks of a potential Deshaun Watson trade increased in the lead-up to Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, with Yahoo! Sports even indicating the Dolphins had emerged as front-runners to acquire the embattled Texans quarterback. CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora clarified that while Houston is motivated to trade its former Pro Bowler, not even logical suitors are overly interested in dealing for a player with so many legal questions to answer. The Dolphins appear to be in that camp, with ESPN's Jeff Darlington reporting later Tuesday that coach Brian Flores endorsed current QB Tua Tagovailoa while recently addressing his team about Watson rumors.
Flores, who has expressed confidence in Tagovailoa's progress this offseason, spoke with both players and staff amid the reports tying Watson to the Dolphins, per Darlington. In the meeting, the third-year head coach told the team that Tagovailoa is "our quarterback." The endorsement was "brief put poignant," according to Darlington, in that it didn't necessarily dispute the notion that Miami has explored a potential Watson trade but reiterated the Dolphins' belief in Tagovailoa going into the season.
"So wherever it started, wherever it's going, here's what you can take away," Darlington tweeted. "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."
Tagovailoa, drafted No. 5 overall by the Dolphins in 2020, is entering his first full season as the team's starting QB after opening his rookie campaign behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. Despite a solid, if unspectacular, showing in nine first-year starts, he's been the subject of a number of trade rumors this offseason, almost exclusively in relation to a potential Watson deal.
Can the Dolphins repeat their 10-win season? What can you expect from Tua in year two? Get the CBS Sports app and find out! If you already have the app, set the Dolphins as your favorite team for even faster news updates.
