As you all know, one of the good qualities of Tua that I’ve always held onto was his team loyalty. No matter what Flores or the media or fans threw at him, he held his head high and put the team first.

Whenever he had bad games, and he’s definitely had some clunkers, I was the first one to defend him. He just always seems to say the right thing and own up to his mistakes, making it clear he’s here for the long ride.

Until now. Now I can no longer cite his “team player” attitude and be so fast to accept his interceptions. He’s still great. He still led the NFL in passing last season…but he’s also now a holdout.

Yeah, I know that skipping voluntary practices isn’t technically “holding out,” but let’s be honest. He’s holding out. UPDATE: So now the reports are claiming that Tua is indeed at voluntary camp. I apologize if I spread false light on this situation, but the reporters nowadays are angling to cover any and all rumors before their competitors, and it makes for sad, inaccurate journalism. Let’s just say that we don’t know what the heck is going on there!

He’s already rejecting fair offers put before him. He’s not attending a camp that is meant for WRs and QBs to work together, even though he has attended them all in the past. Is it COINCIDENCE that he decided to skip voluntary camp this season while his agent drives the screws into Chris Grier’s wallet? Nope. Not a coincidence.

Tua, for the first time, is sticking it to the Dolphins.

He seems to be remembering his Week 18 game against the Bills when he threw for 5 TD passes and then, in the following week, led us to victory at Kansas City in the freezing weather. Those two Tua victories certainly would qualify him for a raise. Except…

16 Comments

  1. But Tua showed up to OTAs yesterday and worked with the team according to the Miami Herald. Geri needs to get a deal done for a ton of reasons and I don’t think that Tua is wrong or selfish for demanding it at this point. He was one of the top QB last year and each year he improves yet he sees 10 other qbs get 50+mil a year deals and even Prescott (a perennial disappointment) is close to signing a big deal yet Tua has gotten his done? Seems odd unless he’s asking to be the highest paid qb in the nfl then I could see some problems.

  2. remember the playoff game when Tua threw that ground-ball outlet pass to the T-Hill on the side for the incompletion? $50 million baby!

  3. IMO, Tua’s talk is somewhat cheap, it’s easy to say “it’s a team game” and “I take responsibility”.

    Yes, he has proven to excel with this offense, but that is because McDaniel designed
    the entire offense around his skill set, and also, more importantly, around his shortcomings. Without this offense, Tua comes nowhere close to his 2023 numbers.

    I hope Dolphins hold their ground. He does not deserve top five QB money. Don’t over pay! I would prefer the Dolphins wait and see how Tua performs this 5th year before committing to a new contract. If need be, Slap the franchise tag on him for the 6th year.

    I want Tua to succeed, but he is immature and does not
    have hat fire that is necessary to be a difference maker. He also has the other shortcomings I have mentioned previously.
    Can he develop that fire needed to be difference maker? I don’t know, I have my serious doubts that he is would develop that fire if he signs a big contract now. it is not his nature.

  4. I totally agree about the “fire” not being there and man it’s so aggravating especially in big moments last year when we needed to win it was like, oh I’ll throw an uncatchable ball and go three and out and it’s ok we can try again sometime. I hate that. I also think if I were Tua I’d play my last year under the current contract and see what happens. If he’s great the fins will pay him or franchise him. If he’s above average like the last year he will probably get a sub 50 mil contract which is what they are probably offering now. IDK I don’t blame rather side really but if the dolphins were going to screw around why not draft or bring in another QB to show they are serious. To me they have a Super Bowl offense but no QB to run it if they drop Tua next year or he sits out but than again maybe they can simply sign Brady and plug him in? That would probably cost whatever Tua wants this year?

  5. I’ve been ready to move from Tua from year two! He did not impress me and still doesn’t…He has had ample time to learn the job!! Coach McD has had to revamp the offense to cater to Tua’s inability to make the plays. His numbers were created with easy plays. The plays are pretty basic dink and dunk no further than 10 yards…that’s not going to make it in this league! He’s not Super Bowl caliber…that would be Mahomes. Tua isn’t and never will be Mahomes level. So Super Bowl is not coming until this team has a top tier QB. Grier should have picked up a QB and bring on the competition. Tua has no other QB who is hungry right now so he feels he has job security….I’m ready to move on from him.

    1. Author

      I think Tua has made strides each season, and I am not ready to give up on him. I’d still like to see more passion. More pure instinct. More taking the game into his own hands and willing a win. He lacks there. Tua got put on the map because he came into the college championship game as a backup with his team down and engineered a comeback. He wanted to prove himself that night, and he did. As a Dolphin, he’s had a few of those types of games. Like the Charger game last year when he engineered the game-winning drive as the clock wound down. But where was that same determination and gut-check when he had TWO chances to ice the Titans game? Inconsistent throwing is something QBs go through. They have a bad game at times. But inconsistent drive and passion and determination? THAT is where this kid needs to step up. Still waiting for the first time when either Tua or McDaniel gets in someone’s face after a mistake.

      1. As a Tua doubter, I still do hope he improves, not in stats, but in fire, passion, and ad-lib play making.

        to be fair, here our some thoughts in defense of Tua:

        does Tua have the okay to audible? because it seemed like he did not have that opportunity last year. if he does not have that discretionary option, then that will effect is attitude, as well as experience and success at ad-lib decision and play making.

        Also…one could argue the McDaniel quick 1-2-3 timing offense is so sophisticated that most of the QB’s energy is focused on the execution of the plat’s first read, instead of the check-down and 2nd read options. do you remember the delay of game penalties and the how long it sometimes took to get the play call in and play completion in 30 seconds? Top complicated?

  6. Admin, Flyerphin et al., Tua vs. Burrow? Who you taking? For me easy, Burrow. He has that grit determination-he’s wired that way. Tua is not. I would not trust Tua to audible. I’m no coach, I’m just a lifelong Dolphins fan for many years and watch a lot of football. Watching Tua scares the crap out of me honestly not in a good way. I am just watching and thinking WTF is going to happen. Not the way I would like to feel about our QB! I never worried that Dan Marino couldn’t figure it out; neve worried Bob Griese’s ability. But to award Tua with the big money contract the Miami Herald is pushing for is absurd. Tua must prove he’s worth it. Take away THill, Waddle etc., and Tua won’t be looking so good. Those players make him look good. Should be the other way around.

    1. Burrow! When I read your comment I was thinking it’s a shame that since Marino I think Pennington was the QB with the most fire and determination to win, to bad he was also the lest physically gifted qb. Also as much as I dispose Payton manning that guy always spit fire and competed at a very high level. I dont think that’s taught and I don’t think any of our qbs have it. I wish we had drafted another qb but I’m afraid we will cost on with Tua for another five years or so of mediocrity and early playoff exits.

      1. Actually T-Hill had a lot of fire in him just wasn’t real football smart with the FIns.

  7. Question of the day for all in this group:

    Knowing Tua’s laid-back nature, in which one of these scenarios will he improve to find the magic & fire to become a game changer and playoff winning QB:

    scenario #1) signs the big-money contract now (before 2024 season starts)

    scenario #2) plays out this 5th year with the current contract, in a prove it or lose scenario (i.e. he’s playing for a potential big-money contract)

    I think we all know the answer….

  8. You definitely know my answer! Hope this organization is smart enough to not blow the bank account for Tua. We will find out. We all know that paying a player Lotto winnings does not put the firecracker where it needs to be…we have lived it with the Dolphins already.

    1. Author

      Thanks, Sean. While I welcome the addition of Campbell, I fear some underlying issues. Namely, if Chubb and Phillips were scheduled to be ready for opening day, we probably wouldn’t need Campbell. And we might not have drafted Chop Robinson. I believe that Grier sees the writing on the wall. He knows our guys won’t be ready, so he’s shoring up on whoever is available. I love Melvin Ingram by the way. We had him twice and cut him twice. Let’s bring him in again!

Leave a Reply