06 January 2023 , 14:56
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Tua Tagovailoa has been warned that the Miami Dolphins may need to move on from him due to his size and injury concerns heading into the future.
It's been a truly frustrating season for the Dolphins. After much was promised, starting with an 8-3 record heading into the last month of the season, their campaign has derailed, losing their last five games in a row and having troubles at the quarterback position.
The Dolphins arguably have one of the best rosters in the NFL, with an elite receiving core and a offensive guru as a head coach in Mike McDaniel, but they now could miss out on the playoffs.
For Tagovailoa though, the 24-year-old has worryingly suffered three separate concussions this season, which some neuroscientists say should be enough for him to consider retiring from the sport.
Standing at around 6'0 and just 215lbs, Tagovailoa is one of the smaller quarterbacks in the league, who does not possess the requisite speed or girth to avoid or withstand hits from defensive players.
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Now suffering with his 13th injury in five years, FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd has suggested that the Dolphins may be worried about Tagovailoa's future, and may consider looking into his replacement in the form of a bigger, more prototypical quarterbacks which the league tends to favour.
Cowherd said: "I have always been reticent about Tua. He is small, there are injuries, it feels like every deep ball is underthrown.
Tua Tagovailoa may not play this weekend after suffering a third concussion"If you start looking at the best 20 quarterbacks in NFL history Drew Brees (6'0) is the outlier. They are big men. Aikman, Manning, Brady, Big Ben were all big guys."
"Size matters. Manziel flopped, Kyler Murray is hurt, Jalen Hurts is hurt. Baker Mayfield ruined his season trying to make a tackle. Zach Wilson, I said he feels small and slight and he got hurt.
"People are talking about the number one draft pick coming out college this year will be Bryce Young - who is 6'0 and 190lbs and looks small in college football.
"Miami has a great roster; offensive coach, left tackle, offensive weapons, excellent corner. They have a lot of talent and have a difficult decision to make coming up."
Sean Payton had been on Cowherd's show last week, and discussed the importance of drafting prototypical big players with high draft picks.
Payton said: "Lets not draft small players in the first 15 picks in the draft. Lets not get away from prototype. I spoke to a number of coaches about this - the early picks have to be prototype players, when you look at their health, they have to be."