Terron Armstead spent twelve years in the NFL, splitting his five-time Pro Bowl career between stints with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. He thinks he’s seen something in Tua Tagovailoa that should please Miami Dolphins fans.
Tua has been followed by intense media scrutiny during his time in Florida, receiving both praise and criticism in equal measure, largely tied to the success of the Miami Dolphins at the time.
In a five-year career since his decorated time at Alabama, he’s compiled a 38-24 record as a starter, throwing 100 touchdowns to 44 interceptions, although due to both injuries and inconsistent play elsewhere, he’s only been able to make one postseason appearance.
For his last three years as part of the Dolphins, his blind side was protected by left tackle Terron Armstead, and Armstead has given him a ringing endorsement.
Terron Armstead backs Tua, compares his traits to Drew Brees
Speaking on the Rich Eisen show on Tuesday, Armstead drew the surprising comparison, backing his former quarterback strongly in the process.
“I see similarities. I’m not saying they’re the same player or same person, no two people are, but the anticipation, the accuracy, timing of throws, the ability to knock a wing off a fly repeatedly…those guys throw darts,” said Armstead. “They don’t throw to areas, they are very precise. And that’s an elite talent, it’s an elite trait. Very few people have that. Tua’s one of them and Drew Brees is another.”
He also pointed out Brees’ bumpy career trajectory, using it as a comparison point for why the criticism of Tua has been so unusually outsized.
“I don’t know exactly where Drew Brees was going into his sixth year. I know he had a shoulder that had to get reconstructed when he signed to New Orleans and really pushed his career even further, to be the Hall of Famer player that he was.” said Armstead.
Make or break 2025 for Tua, Dolphins?
The Brees comparison in terms of career paths could prove to be more apt than even Armstead realised. In many ways, the Dolphins are showing signs of being the early 2000s Los Angeles Chargers – good, but not quite good enough. With GM Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel both on the hotseat, they need Tua both healthy and firing in 2025 to keep their jobs.
If, for some reason, they don’t, and the fire sale of veterans continues, a new regime may decide on a new quarterback in Miami. With the ease with which formerly coveted quarterback prospects are discarded, Tua could be no different if he fails to reach the potential he’s shown himself to have so far in his professional career.
Still, if Armstead is right, a change of scenery benefited Drew Brees…
