clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Will Tua Tagovailoa vs Joe Burrow happen in Week 13?

Round 2, FIGHT!

LSU v Alabama Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Unlike previous years, there’s a ton of uncertainty surrounding the 2020 NFL season. But one thing we do know, however, is that the league and owners appear hell-bent on moving forward with the season as scheduled.

Unfortunately, with a shortened offseason and the potential that no preseason games will be played, rookies face an even more significant challenge than before. And while a team like the Cincinnati Bengals depend on QB Joe Burrow from the start, the Dolphins have a bit more wiggle room with their quarterback of the future.

2020 NFL Draft - Round 1 Photo by NFL via Getty Images

Ryan Fitzpatrick will almost certainly start the season for the Dolphins. Not only did he prove to be the nucleus that kept the 2019 team intact, he knows Chan Gailey’s offense as well as anyone. This will give Tua time to get acclimated to the NFL and most importantly, his new offense. But regardless of Fitzpatrick’s experience and leadership qualities, at some point in 2020, he will pass the torch to the #5 overall pick, and the rest will be history.

To sit here on July 7th and pretend to know what day that might be is disingenuous. And like some, I’m still extremely skeptical the 2020 NFL season will ever finish once started. But if everything with Covid-19 does improve and they are able to play football this fall, Tagovailoa will almost certainly be Miami’s starting QB sooner rather than later.

This means we should have the opportunity to see Bengals QB Joe Burrow face off against Tua Tagovailoa for the second time in their storied careers.

In their first meeting back in November, Tua completed 21-40 for 418 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a losing effort. But what was most impressive is that he did all while playing on a messed up ankle. That’s right. The Alabama QB looked every bit as impressive as the Heisman Trophy winner...on one leg.

Here’s a look at every drop back from Tua Tagovailoa’s impressive performance vs. the LSU Tigers.

If you enjoy this video, please subscribe to my channel. Thank you.

A Tua vs. Burrow matchup would be everything the NFL could hope for. The top-2 QBs in this year’s class going head to head, but it would be a preview of what’s to come in the AFC, that makes it so intriguing.

Would the game get flexed to primetime? Sure, that’s a possibility.

Could it have playoff implications? A little less likely, but stranger things have happened.

Yes, football is a team sport. But this would allow Tua to prove to himself and the world that he is every bit as good as Burrow, if not better. And had he not suffered a season-ending hip injury, there’s a good chance he may have been the first QB off the board.

In the end, no one knows what is going to happen. Maybe, there will be an NFL season, and maybe there won’t. But one thing is for sure, Tua Tagovailoa vs. Joe Burrow would be a heavyweight title fight. And my money is on the Dolphins and QB Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa.