Should Tua Tagovailoa be promoted if the Dolphins fall to 0-3?

Dolphins fans may want to see Tua Tagovailoa soon if the team loses Thursday night.

The Miami Dolphins executed their plan to perfection in 2019. The team lost enough to end up with the No. 5 overall pick and used it on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. “Tanking for Tua” was a success.

The Dolphins are in action Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tagovailoa will once again be on the sidelines as Ryan Fitzpatrick starts at quarterback. The team has started 0-2 and have an elite prospect just waiting on the sidelines. Does another loss for Miami mean it is time for Tua?

When do the Dolphins start Tua Tagovailoa?

An 0-3 start would put the Dolphins back on a rebuilding path. But starting Fitzpatrick already has that plan in place. Tagovailoa is the quarterback of the future and the Dolphins are ensuring he is healthy and good to go before he faces the fire that is an NFL defense.

Following Thursday night’s game the Dolphins have the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers back-to-back on the schedule. A debut against the Seahawks may be a rough way for the rookie to begin his career.

However, he does have to play at some point. Not having a preseason after he missed the end of his final college season with an injury makes it clear as to why the team is being patient.

Elsewhere around the league fans have seen Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert put together solid performances without a preseason. So perhaps that excuse falls flat after closer consideration.

Fitzpatrick is in Miami as the temporary option until Tagovailoa is ready. That we know. The team also appears to be fine with missing the playoffs once again. If the goal was to win, the team could have taken a shot on signing someone like Cam Newton to make a run in 2020.

Tagovailoa needs to prove he can take some hits at this point. As long as he is healthy, waiting does not do him any good. An 0-3 start would give Brian Flores a fair reason to get his rookie on the field and solely focus on development. Maybe some wins come out of it and the coach looks like a genius.

However, it is also too early to count out FitzMagic. A win Thursday night keeps the Dolphins’ playoff hopes alive in September and also allows the veteran to keep what may be the final starting job of his career.

There may not be a right answer as to when Tagovailoa should start. While fans may want him to be out there Thursday night, the organization also knows they made a huge investment in the young man. A few more weeks to learn won’t derail his future, especially with some tough opponents ahead on the schedule.