The Miami Dolphins have said everything they can publicly to throw their support behind Tua Tagovailoa as the quarterback of the team going forward, but that hasn’t stopped speculation that they’d go with someone else in 2023.
First, it was Tom Brady, who recently retired after a 23-year career between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Miami had tried to tamper with the quarterback before, so it seemed like a natural landing spot, but the team denied interest in his services when their season came to a close.
Now, with the Las Vegas Raiders releasing Derek Carr on Tuesday, there’s another veteran option that will cause some to question whether or not the Dolphins could move on from Tagovailoa.
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager became one of the first to ponder this on Good Morning Football.
“If I am the Miami Dolphins, I don’t know what the situation is with Tua, and I’m looking at Derek Carr,” Schrager said. “Tua is in the final year of his contract, and he hasn’t gotten that big deal yet. If I’m the Dolphins, I’m so close, my roster is so loaded, you bring in Derek Carr to Miami, are they not one of the favorites in the AFC?”
Tagovailoa suffered multiple head injuries in 2022, at least two of which were concussions, that caused him to miss games, including the franchise’s first postseason contest since 2016. Since then, he’s been cleared to participate in football activities, and he’s ready to resume his career.
Carr, in his first season in Josh McDaniel’s system, posted a disappointing 86.3 passer rating while completing 60.8% of his passes for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also tied his career-high in interceptions (14).
The 31-year-old has shown flashes in his career, but the sustained success hasn’t been there. For the money it would likely cost to bring him in, it doesn’t sound like smart business in 2023.
