Has Tua Finally Silenced The Herbert Critics?

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2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft was among the most stacked QB drafts ever. For starters, you have Joe Burrow, the number overall pick. In his first 3 NFL seasons, he’s won comeback player of the year, completion percentage, and numerous playoff victories. This draft also featured Eagles star QB Jalen Hurts, who was drafted in the 2nd round and has already been an NFL All-pro and in a Superbowl. Despite all the star power in the draft, there have always been plenty of NFL fans to criticize the Dolphins for drafting Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert.

First Year Comparisons

Despite Tua and Herbert being high draft picks, they were both 2nd string QBs in their rookie year. Tua was back up to Ryan Fitzpatrick, while Herbert backed up Tyrod Taylor. During week 8 of the NFL season, Tua was named the starting QB for the Dolphins.

Playing ten games in his rookie seasons, Tua was a mixed bag. Tua threw for 1,814 yards and accumulated 11 touchdowns but also threw seven interceptions. He also had a passer rating of 87.1

While Herbert, on the other hand, played in 15 games. He made an incredible first impression throwing for over 4,336 yards with 31 touchdowns. His QB rating was 98.3. Herbert undoubtedly won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The red-hot start for Herbert left Dolphins fans scratching their head, believing their franchise had made an enormous mistake by picking Tua ahead of Herbet.

Continuous Struggles For Tua and The Rise of Herbert

Unfortunately for Tua and Dolphins fans, things would get worse before getting better. Tua’s second year in the NFL was a repeat of his first year. He threw for 2,653 and 16 touchdowns with ten interceptions. Miami began feeling that Tua was not ready for the NFL level.

Meanwhile, Herbert set the league ablaze, throwing over 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns. Herbert was selected to his first NFL pro-bowl.

The Tyreek Hill Trade and Mcdaniel Arrives

During the 2022 NFL off-season, the Dolphins made numerous changes. They shocked the NFL when they traded for the Chiefs’s All-pro wide receive Tyreek Hill. They also moved on from head coach Brian Flores and hired first-time head coach Mike McDaniel.

The welcomed additions created a chance for Tua to redeem himself after his first two seasons were subpar, and redeem himself he did.

Despite missing four games due to head injuries, Tua’s performance vastly improved thanks to the addition of Hill. Tua recorded a career-high passer rating (105.5), followed by over 25 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Unfortunately, Tua’s magical season would end in the wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Upsurge of the Dolphins, Chargers Late Game Struggles.

Six weeks into the 2023 NFL season, the Dolphins are a decisive 5-1 and lead the AFC East division. Tua is in the MVP conversation with a passer rating of 114, 1,876 passing yards, and 14 touchdowns, including a week one victory over Herbert’s Chargers.

So far, for Herbert and the Chargers, the season has been a struggle. The Chargers have lost 3 of the first five games. All three losses have gone down to the wire. Herbert’s struggles during crunch time have been a repeated highlight in the season.

In the second week of the NFL season, the Chargers forced overtime against the Titans. Herbert and company elected to receive the ball after winning the coin toss. Despite receiving the ball first, Herbert did not gain a single yard in overtime. Throwing multiple incompletions, resulting in a quick three-and-out for the Chargers.

In the week six loss to the Cowboys, Herbert overthrew Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen multiple times. He also tried forcing a ball to rookie Quentin Johnson but was picked off by Stephone Gilmore to seal the game.

Tua’s stellar performance has completely dealt NFL critics a reverse card. The Chargers rocky start to the season has the NFL world calling the former offensive rookie of the year “overrated.”