Ryan Fitzpatrick Will Start As Dolphins QB In 2020
Ryan Fitzpatrick will start as the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback in 2020. The organization will go through the motions of making it seem like a competition between him and Tua Tagovailoa, and everyone will say all the right things, but the 37-year-old will ultimately get the nod.
The long-term plan for Tagovailoa is clear. He is Miami’s quarterback of the future and someone the franchise is very invested in. However, thrusting him into a starting role that his largely unprepared for will not benefit anyone.
Head coach Brian Flores is a disciple of New England Patriots boss Bill Belichick, and he understands how these things need to go.
This week, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo confirmed that the Dolphins’ plan as far as the quarterback position goes is largely already in place.
“Brian Flores comes from the Bill Belichick school of competition,” he said.
“He wouldn’t declare a starting quarterback in this competition this early. But the expectation is you’re looking at the starter in Ryan Fitzpatrick.”
None of this should come as a surprise. The plan all along was for Fizpatrick to serve as a placeholder for whomever Miami chose as its quarterback of the future in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Fitzpatrick has acknowledged this much publicly.
“I don’t know how much time it will be before Tua is in the lineup,” he said.
“I know I am the placeholder and we’ve already had that conversation. I told him, I’m going to do the best I can to lead this team and win football games when I’m out there.”
The right attitude from Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on working with Tua Tagovailoa. Says, “I know that I am the placeholder.” He adds that when Tua does play he will be his biggest cheerleader. pic.twitter.com/7QbEgnUMEx
— Will Manso (@WillMansoWPLG) August 1, 2020
Ryan Fitzpatrick No Stranger To Uncertainty
Fitzpatrick, 37, is used to this sort of quarterback arrangement. Last year, he was sharing duties with former UCLA standout Josh Rosen. Ultimately he ended up winning out over the youngster and overseeing the offense for the majority of the year.
When it was all said and done, Fitzpatrick finished the season with 3,529 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also chipped in 243 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
The Dolphins finished 5-11 in 2019 – dead last in the largely top-heavy AFC East. There is no reason the team shouldn’t finish at the very least above the New York Jets in 2020.
Fitzpatrick will start the season as Miami’s quarterback, that much is certain. Will he end it in that role, though? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
