Dolphins commit to Tua – and bring in an insurance policy

After some wait, the Miami Dolphins have now exercised QB Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option and brought in Mike White from the Jets.

It took a little over a month for things to become official, but Miami are committing to Tagovailoa in spite of the concussion issues which marred his season and ultimately the Dolphins in 2022. 

2022 recap

Concussions aside, Tagovailoa had a breakout season last year with a 64.8 completion percentage. When he was healthy, Hawaii-born Tua threw for over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.

The 2020 fifth-overall pick had missed games in the preceding year’s season, owing to a chest rib fracture and hand finger fracture, but fans remained excited to see what the 2022 season would bring, particularly given the procurement of wide receiver and star Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Fins won their first trio of games of the season, including an absolute thriller in Baltimore where, down by three TDs, the Dolphins put a commanding 28 points on the board in the closing quarter to seal the contest against the Ravens.

Tagovailoa threw a career-high of 469 yards and the buzz around the team heading into the following week match-up against the Buffalo Bills was palpable. In the second quarter of said game, Tagovailoa took a frightening blow to the head when his helmet smacked against the turf following a shove. As he stumbled back to the line it was immediately evident that he needed to be pulled from the field. 

Initially listed as questionable to return, Tagovailoa did return to the field and eventually helped the Dolphins win the game. The win however would be overshadowed by whether allowing him to return to action was the right call. Officially, his injury was recorded as a back injury, but this assessment was called into extra review after the next match against Cincinnati.

In that game, Tagovailoa was sacked and struck the ground with a horrid bump, hitting his head with intense force. Rolling over onto his back, the cameras instantly locked in on his stretched and locked fingers. This abnormal posturing was a fencing response – an unnatural position of the arms which follow a neurological disturbance and associated with concussion. Tagovailoa was stretchered off and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

A couple of days later, the neurotrauma consultant who was involved in his concussion check during the Bills game was terminated and the NFL and NFLPA were forced to revise their concussion protocol policy.

Tagovailoa returned to practice in a limited capacity but stayed inactive until Week 7. A five-game winning streak ensued and was later halted by the 49ers in early December, which would then itself be the first of five losing efforts. On Boxing Day, Tagovailoa entered concussion protocol again, following a Christmas Day showdown with the Green Bay Packers.

The Christmas Day game was the last Tagovailoa played in the 2022 campaign, with the Dolphins eventually succumbing to the Bills in the Wild Card round.

It was a disappointing finish to a season earlier bubbling with expectations and subsequently tarnished with challenging conversations, but through it Tagovailoa was able to demonstrate what (and just how well) he can deliver when he’s healthy. In December of last year, Tagovailoa topped the overall fan votes for the 2023 Pro Bowl (although was only named as first alternate and did not end up taking part).

The former Alabama QB finally cleared concussion protocols early last month, but doubts have lingered about his condition going forward. There is currently no reason to suggest he won’t be playing at full capacity come September, but past hinderances will have made executives a little nervous.

GM Chris Grier had previously said all options were on the table, and even though health matters remained a factor, the team were excited for him to be part of their future. At 25 years of age, Tagovailoa still has a lot of potential to fill.

Sunshine State insurance

During free agency, the Dolphins have signed former New York Jets QB Mike White on a two-year $16 million deal. White, himself from Florida, joins after four seasons in New York, having appeared in eight games with seven of those being starts, and will be a solid backup for Tagovailoa. 

White, who was originally drafted by the Cowboys in 2018, made his regular season debut in Week 7 of October 2021 at the Patriots when Zach Wilson went off injured. The Jets lost 54-13, but not before a quick touchdown pass from White to Corey Davis and another successful touchdown drive in the third quarter.

The following week, White made his first career start opposite the Bengals. For a short spell, it looked like he might be taken out due to a head injury but returned to complete 37 of 45 passes for 405 yards. With three passing touchdowns from White, the Jets defeated the eventual Super Bowl finalists (and his former draft rival Joe Burrow) 34-31.

In 2022, as Wilson fell further out of favour in New York, White started three consecutive matches. The third of which, facing the Bills, saw White leave the game twice and was later discovered to have rib injuries. He returned for the penultimate game of the season but struggled and was ruled out for the final game of the season against his eventual next team.

Heating up in Miami

During his time in New York, White proved himself as resilient and proficient. If Tagovailoa should miss any time in the forthcoming season, White can quickly step in and ensure the Dolphins don’t miss a beat. White is, if you will, an insurance policy in case anything happens to Tagovailoa, but of course the plan and hope is that nothing will happen to him.

Tagovailoa will continue to advance under head coach Mike McDaniel’s tuition and the special relationship they have established. Both QBs too will also benefit under offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who like McDaniel is entering his second year with the franchise.

Elsewhere, the Dolphins have secured Jalen Ramsey and re-signed Raheem Mostert, while upgrading across the roster, including acquiring the likes of DeShon Elliott and David Long Jr. Dolphins’ fans have good reason to be optimistic again for the new season, more so now that Tagovailoa is locked in and has a more-than-competent backup behind him.