For just the second time in their young careers, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will lead their teams against each other on Sunday.
With both signal-callers being first-round selections in the 2020 draft, and the Dolphins taking Tagovailoa with Herbert still on the board, the two have been tied together through the first years of their NFL journeys.
While Miami won their first meeting back in 2020, Herbert has shown more of the physical traits and tools needed to become a franchise quarterback in this league. Many will remind you that victories aren’t a quarterback statistic, but they do have the biggest effect on the outcome of a contest.
Through nearly three seasons, Tagovailoa has led the Dolphins to a .667 winning percentage, while Herbert has the Chargers at just .477.
It’s undeniable that the former Crimson Tide quarterback has taken a step forward this year with Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill entering the fray in South Florida. He’s already set career marks in yards (2,859) and touchdowns (21) in just 10 games while leading the NFL in passer rating (112.0).
However, Herbert’s numbers are also strong, throwing for 3,339 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 92.3 passer rating.
Coming off of Tagovailoa’s worst performance of the year, one that was full of inaccurate passes that weren’t a result of pressure, the critics that sat back silently while the quarterback put himself in the MVP conversation through the first 12 weeks of the season came to the forefront on social media, podcasts and talk shows again.
A Sunday night matchup at SoFi Stadium with a Chargers team that’s on the edge of playoff contention could be exactly what Tagovailoa needs to lull those doubters back to sleep. If he can lead his team to a road victory against a potential contender, one quarterbacked by the guy that most of them believe Miami should’ve drafted instead of him, not only will detractors once again have nothing to say with any credence, but he’ll also be proving it to his teammates, coaches, Dolphins decision-makers and fanbase.
While Miami technically has time to make a decision about their future at quarterback, this offseason really is the best moment to either commit or look elsewhere. A game like this won’t tell the team everything they need to know about their captain but they could certainly get some answers that may make that resolution easier to come to.
