Dolphins coach Brian Flores wants to see Tua Tagovailoa practice before naming him the starter

Since he was drafted by the Dolphins with the fifth pick in the draft, NFL fans have wondered how long it would take for Tua Tagovailoa to become the starting quarterback for the team. According to head coach Brian Flores, he won't be able to fully assess the rookie until he is able to get a long look at him on the field.

"So, as far as whether or not he can or can't do something, it would be hard to say," Flores told the Palm Beach Post. "My hopes don't get high or low until I see a guy in a huddle. Until I see a guy make it through practice - multiple practices - it's hard to say we're going to do this, that or the other thing at game speed. That's for anyone."

There are a few reasons why Flores has not gotten to see his newest quarterback at 'game speed.' Obviously, the pandemic has forced an almost entirely remote offseason, meaning that teams have been unable to gather the way that they typically would in order to assess talent. Additionally, Tua is recovering from hip surgery that he underwent last November and the timeline for when he will be able to return to the field has not exactly been consistent.

If Flores is unable to confidently assess Tua's abilities before the season starts, there's a good chance that Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the Week 1 starter for the team. But even if that's the case, don't be surprised if Tua wins the starting job sooner rather than later.