As the Miami Dolphins complete their transition to make this team “Tua Tagovailoa’s team”, there will be plenty of attention paid to how the other members of the organization process, embrace and welcome those changes. One of the quiet leaders of the Miami Dolphins, cornerback Byron Jones, joined NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ programming this week and spoke about the Dolphins, their rebuilding effort and how the team is “putting a team together the right way” and, most notably the transition to Tua Tagovailoa serving as the unquestioned starting quarterback for the team in 2021.
Here’s what Jones specifically had to say about Tagovailoa and his emergence as the starting quarterback.
“It’s exciting. This team is comprised of a bunch of young guys. Obviously, (Tagovailoa)’s going into his second year. What we saw last year was great from him but we expect a big jump. The kid’s been working, I know he’s been working. He’s been a great kid. Really good head on his shoulders. And that’s the beauty of it,” said Jones.
“We’re surrounded by a bunch of good guys who want to be great again. So I’m looking forward to seeing his jump. His contributions to the team have been great so far, but we’re looking for even something better this year. It’s exciting. I can’t wait to see him work his magic.”
Indeed, that will be one of the unique challenges for Tagovailoa — getting his physical abilities and advantages over former Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to shine by mastering the mental side of the game. It’s been great to see Tagovailoa in the weight room and throwing to Dolphins receivers all offseason, but the mental side of the game figures to offer an equal growth opportunity for the former Crimson Tide quarterback. How well he can process those dynamics will go a long way in determining if he’s going to meet the expectations laid out for him by Byron Jones, the Dolphins organization, fans and, most importantly, himself in 2021.
