Dolphins name Tua Tagovailoa starting quarterback

Tagovailoa played his first NFL action on Sunday during the Dolphins' win against the New York Jets, completing both his passes. The rookie has had a long and winding road toward his first start. He suffered a dislocated hip and posterior wall fracture last November, ending his final season with Alabama.

The Dolphins drafted Tua with the fifth pick in this year's draft, and many wondered if he could start Week 1 for the team. However, head coach Brian Flores ended up going with the veteran Fitzpatrick as the team's starter for the first six games of the season. 

Fitzpatrick certainly didn't lose the job with poor play, as he kept Miami competitive, earning the team a 3-3 record while completing 70% of his passes and throwing for over 1,500 yards. However, the 37-year-old just doesn't fit into the future plans of Miami, which is focused more on the future than the present. 

While Tagovailoa may not end up matching Fitzpatrick's numbers, it's important for the team to give him some playing time so it can get a good sense of what it has in the potential franchise quarterback. Plus, with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow both off to solid starts to their careers, the Dolphins likely wanted to see how their own rookie could do. Tua will make his NFL starting debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.