One of the only major question marks about Tua Tagovailoa coming out of college was the quarterback's health. If not for a dislocated hip and other injuries at Alabama, the Crimson Tide standout may have been the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Two starts into his career as the Miami Dolphins' quarterback, however, Tagovailoa is already all the way back to Alabama form.
Or at least that's according to Dolphins offensive coordinator Chain Gailey. Asked this week whether Tagovailoa is playing like the same poised passer who won a national championship in college, the longtime coach did not hesitate: "It looks like it to me," he said, per Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post. "I can't see a real difference. So physically is the one thing that you had the concern about, and I think he kind of relieved all our thoughts about that the other night."
Tagovailoa, of course, is fresh off his second appearance at the helm of Miami's offense after taking over for veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. He threw two touchdowns and completed 71 percent of his passes during the Dolphins' Week 9 win over the Arizona Cardinals to improve to 5-3.
"He has a tremendous feel for the game," Gailey added. "That allows him to see some things, do some things, throw the ball in some spots that other people might not do. I think he just went out and played the game. He didn't care who was there or who wasn't there. He was playing the game ... He doesn't think about adversity. He thinks about, 'OK, how can we go be successful?' That will carry a person a long way."
Tagovailoa, who had a smaller role in his first career start, a win over the Los Angeles Rams; will be back on the field this Sunday for a matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers and fellow rookie QB Justin Herbert.
