Tua Tagovailoa was Alabama football’s greatest quarterback ever. Is he already the best quarterback in the AFC East before he takes an NFL snap?
Alabama football fans knew a time would come where they would have to watch Tua Tagovailoa on Sundays instead of Saturdays. After three years in Tuscaloosa, Tua found his new home in Miami after being drafted by the Dolphins in the first round. He will now be trying to resurrect the Dolphins in a vastly different AFC East.
The East has been run by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for the entire 21st century. Now that he is in the NFC, expect for the entire paradigm in this division to shift. No one has more than 40 starts under their belt besides Ryan Fitzpatrick, and all of the projected starting quarterbacks will be on their rookie contracts. This is the division of the future, and it is certainly up for grabs.
With so much in the air, Tua might just be the best quarterback in the AFC East by the end of the year. Let’s look at who his competition is.
New England Patriots
New England plans to run out Jarrett Stidham as their starting quarterback for some reason. I know they see something in him, but there is zero doubt in my mind that Tua is a better option than both him and Brian Hoyer.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo’s only quarterback of note is Josh Allen. They had to draft their backup late on Day 3 because of this. Josh Allen had a successful year as a sophomore, but the team’s success was not solely because of his talents. He still has room to grow. He will do this over time, but I prefer Tua’s ceiling to Allen’s.
New York Jets
New York made a smart move by drafting Sam Darnold, but they have done practically nothing to give him a proper situation to be evaluated. He’s having to put the entire team on his back, something you should never expect of a quarterback on his rookie contract. Darnold might be a better talent, but it’s going to take a long time for him to reach his true potential.
Miami Dolphins
Outside of Tua, Ryan Fitzpatrick is in Miami’s plan at quarterback. It will take some time to see when Tua will take over, but the Dolphins have to believe that he is a better quarterback than Fitzpatrick. No disrespect to Fitzpatrick, but they drafted Tua for a reason.
So… Is Tua the best quarterback in the AFC East?
I think Tua will end up being the best quarterback in the AFC East at some point in his career. However, I would have to see him in an NFL game before I gave him that title. Allen and Darnold have a two-year head start on him, so we’ll have to see how Tua progresses. He could easily be the best AFC East quarterback by the time the season is over, but I won’t say it just yet.
I will say this: I would pick Tua over any other AFC East quarterback to start my franchise right now. I just don’t think he’s gotten to their level just yet.