Some NFL execs, coaches believe Dolphins QB is product of his environment

Although Miami Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa elevated his game last season, questions remain about his standing in the NFL's quarterback hierarchy.

The Athletic's Mike Sando recently released his annual "NFL Quarterback Tiers" list, and despite moving up from last year's ranking, the consensus still views Tagovailoa as an average signal-caller. For context, 50 league executives and coaches voted on tiers that were listed from 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst.

The results revealed that Tagovailoa ranked 17th among starting quarterbacks, placing him in Tier 3 and nestled between the Denver Broncos' Russell Wilson (No. 16) and Las Vegas Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 18). While the overwhelming majority agreed with a Tier 3 rating for Tagovailoa, seven voters placed him in Tier 2, and two deemed him as a Tier 4 quarterback.

Overall, the coaches and executives felt Tagovailoa's accuracy was his "defining trait" that makes him the proficient passer he is, but one voter felt the 25-year-old is simply a product of his environment. 

“Having a chance to go against him from his rookie year to where he is now, the accuracy is definitely a strength and he has a little bit of mobility, but when you just have (average) guys at receiver, he can become very average,” a defensive coach told Sando. 

“If you don’t allow him to throw the ball on time, he could be very suspect,” the coach continued. “When teams get up and slow down Tyreek (Hill) and that No. 17 (Jaylen Waddle), you saw the deficiencies in Tua’s game. He is a timing thrower, ball has to come out on time, very little disruption, and that to me puts him as a 3.”

Playing in a prolific passing attack with exceptional weapons has its advantages, and Tagovailoa arguably has the top receiving tandem in the league. Even so, it's hard to be a successful quarterback without a strong supporting cast. Joe Burrow took the leap when the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Ja'Marr Chase, and Jalen Hurts improved when the Philadelphia Eagles traded for A.J. Brown. 

Last offseason's acquisition of Hill undoubtedly helped Tagovailoa flourish. Still, Tagovailoa completed 67.8% of his passes in 2021 when he didn't have Hill, which was the seventh-best in the NFL. 

Another knock against Tagovailoa, which wasn't mentioned as part of the tier list, is his persistent health issues. Tagovailoa has missed 10 games in his NFL career due to various injuries, including last season's wild-card loss to the Bills. If he can just stay healthy for a full season, many will probably judge Tagovailoa in a more positive light.

Despite his injuries, Tagovailoa ranked third among quarterbacks in QBR (68.8) last season, 12th in expected points added (63.5) and his 272.9 passing yards per game were the fifth-most by a player with at least five appearances. If his offseason judo training helps him stay on the field, Tagovailoa should maintain or improve on each mark.

And considering he'll likely receive a contract extension next offseason, Tagovailoa doesn't have much of a choice but to perform well in 2023. 

Tier 3 money is solid. Giants QB Daniel Jones secured a four-year, $160 million extension this offseason, and Derek Carr signed a three-year, $121.5 million contract with the Saints in free agency. However, with a successful season, Tagovailoa could be looking at something more along the lines of his 2020 draft classmate Justin Herbert's five-year, $262.5 million deal.