Dolphins GM confirms Tua Tagovailoa as team's starting QB for 2023

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier confirmed Tua Tagovailoa would return as the team’s starting quarterback in 2023 following an early playoff exit.

Tagovailoa dealt with numerous concussions this season, causing questions about his football future. He was also out for Sunday’s AFC Wild Card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, where Miami used third string quarterback Skylar Thompson after Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater were ruled out.

But Grier was adamant about Tagovailoa coming back for his fourth season with the Dolphins and was the team’s No. 1 man under center, confirming earlier reports.

“I would say with Tua he is our starting quarterback,” Grier said Monday. “I mean, I don’t know how we can say it anymore clearly. We’ve been that way through this season and what he’s done. What Mike and Tua, (Darrell) Bevell, Chandler (Henley), the coaching staff have all done. They’ve all worked tremendously hard all of them together.”

Tagovailoa, the former No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama, goes into year No. 4 but the team needs to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth year option for the 2024 season.

“Everything is on the table for us,” Grier said.

Perhaps the bigger concern is Tagovailoa’s health, since he suffered multiple concussions and was injury prone in college before coming to the pros.

“We anticipate him talking with the doctors and consultants and everyone we’ve dealt with,” Grier said. “We fully expect him back next year. One-hundred percent ready to go and then we’ll get through all those decisions, you know, like you said, just like we talked about, every player on the roster and obviously understand because there’s Tua and that’s why the question is being asked. We’ll go through our process, but he is our starting quarterback and will be next season.”

Tagovailoa played 13 games this season, going 8-5 in starts for the Dolphins while the team finished 9-8, earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. He had career highs across the board.

Tagovailoa finished the year with 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 64.8% completion percentage.

Despite not having their starting quarterback, the Dolphins came mighty close to upsetting the Bills in the 34-31 loss.

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Combined with tough defense and timely offense, the Bills held off a valiant effort from Miami. But Thompson went just 18-of-45 passing for 220 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.