Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores confirmed Wednesday morning that the team will start quarterback Tua Tagovailoa against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 1, after the team’s bye week.
As reasons for the switch, Flores cited Tagovailoa’s improvement in practice and readiness as well as an overall feeling within the organization that it was time.
“We feel like through practice meetings and walk-throughs that he’s ready, and that’s how we’re going moving forward,” Flores said. “[Ryan Fitzpatrick] has done a great job. He’s been productive. His leadership has been great. It’s not an easy decision for me or us as an organization, but we felt like for the team now and moving forward, this is the move we needed to make.”
The other side of the coin is that the move sends Fitzpatrick, a beloved player in the locker room, to the bench. He was playing really well, so the move wasn’t about his play as much as it was about Tagovailoa’s development.
Fitzpatrick completed 70.1 percent of his passes this season for 1,535 yards — an average of 278.3 yards per game — and a 95.0 passer rating. He had 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.