If the Houston Texans are going to trade quarterback Deshaun Watson, it sure sounds like the Miami Dolphins are going to be the destination. Watson has only waived the Dolphins from his no-trade clause and team owner Stephen Ross has reportedly signed off on the deal so long as Watson’s legal issues are solved.
It’s easy to forget there’s another person on the flip side of all this, current Dolphina quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. If the Watson deal does happen, Tua will presumably lose his starting job and might even find himself as part of the trade package. And even if the deal doesn’t happen, he’ll have to continue to try to compete knowing that his team wanted to replace him but couldn’t.
In other words, things are getting a bit awkward over there. And when Tua was asked about the relationship between him and the franchise right now, his answer was…something.
Tua, when asked if he feels wanted by the Dolphins: “I don’t not feel wanted.”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 27, 2021
Can’t ignore the human impact these Deshaun Watson rumors have on Tua. He talked to us for 10 mins today — most of Qs about his job security.
Some quotes:
“Nothing is fair, the life that we lead.”
“I don’t not feel wanted.”
“I don’t even know when the trade deadline is.”
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 27, 2021
The double-negative answer certainly seems to cover all the bases. Technically, Tua isn’t saying things are bad, but he’s not not saying it either.
I see we’re sleeping in separate beds already https://t.co/UlYK4YCz0X
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) October 27, 2021
To be fair, Tua did reiterate that he feels like he’s the quarterback and intends to remain so.
Very interesting from Tua Tagovailoa today: “I have utmost confidence and trust I am the quarterback of this team. Off conversations I've had with Flo, those will stay private, I feel very confident I’m the person." pic.twitter.com/ypJ2zoJNvo
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 27, 2021
But, as he also noted, there are some things in the life of an NFL quarterback that are always out of your control. And the fact that Tua hasn’t even played a full season as a starter and the Dolphins seem fine moving on from him certainly doesn’t seem fair.
Tua hasn’t even started 16 games. When he’s started 16 games, which is a full NFL season – ONE SEASON – let’s stack it up and evaluate. Until then let’s stop the he’s a bust talk cause he’s one of the most efficient QBs this franchise has had since Marino, and he’s just started.
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) October 27, 2021
