Tua’s NOT the Biggest Problem with the Dolphins, but is Part of the Problem…Which IS the Problem
Tua’s NOT the Biggest Problem with the Dolphins, but is Part of the Problem…Which IS the Problem
The Miami Dolphins are 1-5, and with so many problems in Dolphins-Land, I couldn’t begin to list them all.
Some of the problems are significant, while others are minor.
Whether it’s the run defense, the secondary, the offensive line, or the lack of big plays in the passing game with Tyreek Hill out of the lineup, this is a flawed football team.
Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t played his best football in 2025 either.
In the eyes of some fans, Tua is to blame for everything and all of the losing.
That is unfair.
In the eyes of others, though, Tua isn’t Miami’s biggest problem, so you shouldn’t hyper-focus on him.
Well, that is kind of giving him a free pass in some ways.
The reality is that Tua is not the biggest problem with the Dolphins, but he is part of the problem….and at its core, THAT IS THE PROBLEM!
The Dolphins gave Tua a $212 million contract with $167 million fully guaranteed.
When you make that money, you can’t be any type of problem, big or small.
And that is the core of the Dolphins’ problems.
Suppose Tua was balling out week in and week out, playing at a Pro Bowl or All-Pro level, and the Dolphins were still losing games. In that case, Tua should get that free pass, and the Dolphins organization, Mr. Ross, and Dolphins fans can hang their hat on: we’ve got the right quarterback in place; we need to build around him.
But that isn’t the case, far from it.
Maybe Tua isn’t the biggest problem with the Dolphins, but the fact that he is a problem at all tells you all you need to know about why this organization isn’t going anywhere.
In six games this season, Tua has seven interceptions, including three this past week alone.
He threw game-ending interceptions against the Patriots and Bills in September, as the Dolphins attempted to stage a comeback in the late 4th quarter.
So, however you want to rank all of the Miami Dolphins’ problems in 2025, is fine, but the fact that Tua is on that list is, at its core, the problem.
He shouldn’t be on the list of problems at all.
Not when an organization goes all in and pays him the kind of money he is getting paid.
Tua is a Problem and is Not the Answer
Not only is Tua a problem on this roster, but he also isn’t the answer moving forward.
What he did after the loss to the Chargers, throwing his teammates under the bus, is not what a leader does.
Not one that just walked off the field in which he threw three interceptions.
In the NFL, the franchise quarterback needs to be the leader, and it’s obvious his teammates don’t respect him.
Please don’t take my word for it.
Joe Rose on WQAM said it.
Andrew Whitworth said it.
Mitchell Schwartz said it.
Emmanuel Acho said it.
Chris Canty said it.
Countless other former NFL players who have played at the highest level have said it since Sunday night.
Even some of Tua’s teammates, like Patrick Paul and Aaaron Brewer, when asked about what Tua said, all but pleaded the fifth and wouldn’t answer.
And once you lose the locker room, it’s over.
Now, Tua may end up on a different team next year, with a new locker room, and maybe he can win them over and rebuild his reputation.
But in Miami, his reputation is shot.
With this coaching staff, who won’t be here much longer, with his teammates, many of whom won’t be here much longer, and with this front office that has to feel burned and regret for the contract they gave him a little over a year ago.
So, fans and media members can nitpick that this interception wasn’t Tua’s fault. He led a game-winning drive, but they still lost the game. Please don’t blame him, and there’s all that on-field stuff to debate about Tua.
At this point, it no longer matters.
While he may not technically be Miami’s biggest problem, he is still a problem, and that is the problem.
Your franchise quarterback, who is eating up the most money on your salary cap, shouldn’t be a problem at all.
And until you remove that problem, the Dolphins are on the island of irrelevancy.
'Maybe That’s Not the Right Team': Insider on McDavid Signing with Oilers
NHL insider Frank Seravalli
Interestingly, Seravalli tended to agree.
The insider explained:
“I don’t have a crystal ball, but I kind of have some of those similar vibes myself. If you’re not signing before October 7th, call at the opening of the regular season. What’s the impetus? What’s the push to sign? I mean, at that point, you could kind of wait until I don’t know, June, May to figure it out once your season’s over; take some time to digest everything and understand the full process of where things are heading with the Edmonton Oilers.”
Seravalli added, “I can understand why the Oilers front office would want to get this done as soon as possible and I’m sure that they’re antsy to do so, but if you’re McDavid, once the start of the season goes by what’s what’s the pull?”
What If Becomes A Huge Distraction for the Oilers?
The concern on everyone’s part is that McDavid not signing creates a real distraction during the season. Seravalli understands that’s possible, but argued if it does, maybe McDavid is meant to play somewhere else.
He noted,”… I think if it’s impacting the team and the noise around it, then maybe that’s not the right team. I don’t know. I’m just thinking out loud here.”
Seravalli was on record saying it was 100 percent that McDavid would re-sign in Edmonton. His latest comments seem to suggest he’s flipped on that prediction. He seems so unsure now, he’s suggesting if McDavid doesn’t re-sign before the puck drops on opening night, he might not sign in Edmonton at all.
If He Waits Too Long, Trade McDavid
Fans believe Connor McDavid is smartly waiting to sign his extension, but there’s a line in the sand the Oilers as an organization would have to draw. It’s fine to be using his leverage to push GM Stan Bowman into making roster upgrades — particularly acquiring a legitimate goalie. At the same time, many argue Edmonton should trade McDavid if he doesn’t commit before the trade deadline.
If McDavid is looking like he’s not going to stay, no chance at the Stanley Cup in 2025-26 is worth risking McDavid leaving for nothing and the Oilers not loading up on the assets they could get in the biggest trade in modern NHL history.
