If you spend any amount of time on social media, you'll find there a number of members of the media as well as the Miami Dolphins' fanbase who have concerns about whether Tua Tagovailoa is the quarterback who will lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl title in over 50 years. There are also plenty of media and fans who feel he can.
Put Dolphins legend and Hall of Famer in the latter's camp.
The former Miami great joined Adam Schein on Mad Dog radio on Wednesday during Super Bowl LVIII radio row festivities, and he gave his thoughts on the Dolphins' championship prospects with Tua, as well as what went wrong in 2023.
"Yes, I believe he can," Marino responded to Schein's question about whether the Dolphins can win a Super Bowl with Tagovailoa. "He just needs to continue to grow, and I think he's done that. He had the best statistical year of his career and the best in the league, I think. You've just got to build on that.
"The one thing - I'm not making any excuses - but at the end of the year, we were in some tough situations on the road, and we had a lot of injuries, and that all plays into it. Sometimes you've got to get in the right positions and have the right people healthy so you have a chance to get to the Super Bowl."
Marino says what those inside the Dolphins' facilities can't or won't: that injuries do indeed matter. Had this team been remotely healthy, then there's a chance the Dolphins have the horses to end the season far better than they did. Miami's entire offensive line missed time at one point or another. The secondary and pass rushers all missed significant time or suffered season-ending injuries such that the Dolphins were playing in their most important game of the year in Kansas City with a who's who of elite 2014-era pass rushers trying to get after Patrick Mahomes.
That stuff matters, even if some repeat the mantra that injuries are a part of the game. Even some of those who played at the end of the year didn't seem to be 100% as appeared to be the case for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who battled ankle injuries in the season's final weeks.
And there's little doubt that when the Dolphins were healthier earlier in the season, they looked like a different team, with Tua and the Dolphins' offense firing on all cylinders. Granted, of course, they lost to Buffalo and Philadelphia in disappointing fashion, which is something they're going to have to figure out - how to beat the league's best.
Hopefully year three in Mike McDaniel's tenure will result in a far, far better situation with injuries that will allow the Dolphins to finally see what their full potential can be.
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