Kurt Warner to Tua's defense

[Dave Gray]

https://www.reddit.com/r/miamidolphins/comments/1nkyf5w/people_who_want_to_blame_tua_for_the_interception/#lightbox

I am linking to reddit which has the tweet, but basically Warner is saying that the interception isn't at all Tua's fault.  The way the play is designed, that's a timing play where Tua is not expected to see that defensive player and has to trust his guy to impede the player.  Tua is supposed to put the ball where it goes, quickly, and he did.

I don't know the Xs and Os of football like that, so I can't comment, but it's an interesting take.

[Pappy13]

I have no idea why people are focusing on Tua. Sure, Tua has been pretty bad with 4 INT's already, but the Dolphins defense has been worse. Dead last in points per game given up. Dead last in turnovers with zero takeaways. They allowed the opposition to score on 11 straight drives to open the season. They've only forced 4 punts in 3 games. Special teams hasn't been much better with a TD given up on a kickoff. So yeah the offense takes some blame, but there's plenty of blame to go around, no reason to put the emphasis on Tua.

Having said all that, I still think there's room for optimism as the Dolphins didn't play terrible in the last 2 games, but things are going to have to get even better in a hurry. 4 of the next 5 games are against opponents that are bottom of the league with Miami. If there's one thing that Miami has done well the last couple of years, it's beat bad teams. The Dolphins need to show some semblance of life in the next 5 games and if they do they could turn the 0-3 start into a 4-4 start with some much improved play. Now is the time to put things together and they better or the Dolphins are in for a very long year because things get tougher after that 5 game stretch.

I said it might take some time to for things to gel a bit on the defensive side, but they've had 3 games now and they are coming off a mini break. Get things right against the Jets at home and things could still turn around defensively and I still think the offense has enough juice to win some games if the defense can quit giving up 30+. Throw in a couple turnovers and you might have something.

[Dave Gray]

I have no idea why people are focusing on Tua.

I think that a lot of fans give too much credit or failure of team performance to QBs.  It's the nature of fandom and "ball watchers".

But I think that also, we tend to need to find a silver bullet to fix a problem.  Whether it's Grier, McDaniel, both....Tua...Ross...whoever.  When in reality it's a lot of factors, both on and off the field, relating to not only our team but others, as well.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I don't think Tua is a bad QB, but I don't think he is $53 million per year elite

[Dave Gray]

I don't think Tua is a bad QB, but I don't think he is $53 million per year elite

This is the correct take.  Good QB getting paid great money.

[Downunder Dolphan]

There was a video recently that I wished I posted a link to here - I can't find it now. I think it was a bite on X (formerly twitter) asking what happened to Tua, and showing a number of his highlights at Alabama. I would safely guess before his ankle and hip surgeries.

He was so much more mobile and decisive. I think we saw the latter in his first two seasons, going through his progressions so quickly - the mobility was something else entirely.

The last two seasons haven't been to scratch. I really have to wonder between the hits to the head, and the ones below the neck, if he's good enough to cut it as an NFL starter now.

Last week wasn't a lot to get excited about, even before the INT. I think I am officially off the Tua bandwagon now.

[Sibster]

There was a video recently that I wished I posted a link to here - I can't find it now. I think it was a bite on X (formerly twitter) asking what happened to Tua, and showing a number of his highlights at Alabama. I would safely guess before his ankle and hip surgeries.

He was so much more mobile and decisive. I think we saw the latter in his first two seasons, going through his progressions so quickly - the mobility was something else entirely.

The last two seasons haven't been to scratch. I really have to wonder between the hits to the head, and the ones below the neck, if he's good enough to cut it as an NFL starter now.

Last week wasn't a lot to get excited about, even before the INT. I think I am officially off the Tua bandwagon now.

Unfortunately he's got that enormous guarantee and two years left on his contract.   I think he's our QB in 2026.  Now 2027 could be an entirely different story.

[fyo]

Tua is at least an average QB and finding one of those is surprisingly difficult.

As for the money, quarterbacks are expensive and have gotten more so every year for a long time. There are 11 quarterbacks earning more than $50 million a year (Tua is at $53 M). Of those, Tua has the lowest fully guaranteed money and is among the younger of those 11 (six of them are 26-27, like Tua, and none younger than that).

So already more than a third of quarterbacks make more than $50 million and that's just going to increase (although 2026 is a bit of an abnormal year with zero qbs with contracts expiring being under 30).

Do I wish we were paying him less? Sure, but the amount isn't nearly as unreasonable as people make it out to be.