Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores pushed back fiercely Thursday in response to an ESPN report last week that said the team's decision to start Tua Tagovailoa was centered toward evaluating the rookie quarterback in preparation for the 2021 NFL draft.
The ESPN report, citing an unnamed source, said the Dolphins made the move to Tagovailoa — benching 16-year veteran and fan favorite Ryan Fitzpatrick in the process — to see what they have in their young quarterback with two valuable draft picks in both the first and second rounds of next year's draft.
In essence, Flores was upset the report insinuated Tagovailoa is auditioning to be the Dolphins starter for the rest of the 2020 season and beyond.
"I'm just going to tell you about my thinking: We brought Tua here because we believe in him, same as the other draft picks," Flores said on Thursday.
"We believe in developing players, and you guys have heard me talk about improving players on a daily basis. That would be the opposite of giving someone a 10-game audition.
"So, I guess that's my thinking on that — just so everybody is clear."
Tagovailoa will start for the Dolphins (4-3) on Sunday on the road against the Arizona Cardinals (5-2), his second of a 10-game stretch where he'll be Miami's starting quarterback to end the season. Tagovailoa won his first start with the Dolphins last week, a 28-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
The Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in April's draft and named him the team's starter during their Week 7 bye, which was surprising as Fitzpatrick had led the Dolphins to three wins in four games and had a top-5 quarterback rating.
The Dolphins are also fighting for a playoff spot. They are second in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills, and sit ninth in the AFC standings, two spots out of a wild-card berth.
The Dolphins' decision to make a quarterback change in the midst of a playoff run became a major talking point surrounding the team in recent weeks.
Also, the Dolphins' first-round selection from their blockbuster 2019 trade with the Houston Texans currently would be the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft after eight weeks of the season.
Based on how the Texans perform the rest of the season, the pick could put the Dolphins in prime position to select one of the top prospects next April.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the presumptive No. 1 pick, but others like Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, Miami Hurricanes defensive end Greg Rousseau, LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell are considered to be the best players available.
Flores' comments defending the team's decision to start Tagovailoa came unsolicited during his Thursday Zoom news conference with reporters. Flores did not shy away from sharing how the report did not sit well with him.
It's worth noting Flores has not shared such a sentiment regarding a player during his tenure as Dolphins coach quite like he did about Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa will be the only quarterback under contract with the Dolphins at the end of this offseason.
Fitzpatrick is in the final year of a two-year deal he signed with Miami shortly after Flores was hired. It's unclear whether the team will pursue re-signing Fitzpatrick, if Fitzpatrick wants to seek playing time elsewhere or if he wants to retire.
But Flores' statement on Tagovailoa made it perfectly clear the Dolphins intend to cultivate the former Alabama standout this season and into the future.
"Yes, I'm comfortable of what comes out of these 10 games," said Flores. "Since I've been here, everybody has heard me talk about the development of players and improvement on a daily basis. I just don't see how someone close to the Dolphins' thinking could see that and say this would be a 10-game audition. I'm not sure who or where that came from."
