Brian Flores reveals where Tua Tagovailoa stands with Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa appears to have acquitted himself well in camp, even though he didn’t win the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback job.

Coach Brian Flores announced Monday that Ryan Fitzpatrick would be the team’s Week 1 starter, as expected. However, he also had praise for Tagovailoa and said it would be OK if the rookie had to play at some point.

“He’s had a good camp. He’s been competitive. He’s shown a lot of improvement,” Flores said, via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN. “If he had to go in and play, that’s how it’d be. Now a rookie playing early on, we may have that at some other positions and if that were the case, then that’s what it would be.”

While there was chatter that Tagovailoa could end up being third string for Miami, that hasn’t happened. He has been healthy and received positive reviews for his efforts. He may not be the starter now, but he’s still on the right track for long-term success with the Dolphins.