A veteran sportswriter who covers South Florida sports has voiced his surprise at Dolphins fans apparently cooling on their feverish support of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Miami Herald columnist Barry Jackson took to Twitter to call out Dolphins fans who have apparently turned on the third-year quarterback during a late-season slump that has now been marred by his third concussion of the season.
"Surprised to see support for Tua the QB diminish so dramatically among Dolphins fans on this platform, considering his popularity a month ago," Jackson tweeted early on Thursday. "Apparently all it took was 2 1/4 poor games and, sadly another concussion."
Responding to a user who claimed that "the majority" of Dolphins fans still support Tua, Jackson argued that he's seen "dozens of personal attacks," describing the supposed vitriol as "not classy."
Tua, 24, was placed in the league's concussion protocol on Monday. Head coach Mike McDaniel said the process was triggered when he observed something appeared to be off for Tua while watching game film of Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The former Alabama star then displayed and admitted to having concussions while meeting with team doctors.
The concussion saga has marred what has otherwise been a much-needed breakout year for Tua, who was largely viewed as being at something of a career crossroads coming off two unremarkable seasons to begin his career after being the fifth overall draft pick in 2020.
The team got off to a 3-0 start with Tua under center, then lost its next three while he was sidelined after he suffered a concussion in Week 4 against the Bengals. His return marked a five-game winning streak, but he has cooled off amid a four-game skid in December.
On Sunday, Tua guided the Dolphins to a 20-13 halftime lead against Green Bay, only to throw three second-half interceptions. His head appeared to bounce off the turf late in the second quarter, when he was unwittingly taken down from behind by Packers linebacker Kingsley Inagbare.
Tua's struggle with concussions has raised concerns about his availability for not only the rest of the season, but also about his long-term future in the league.
At 8-7, the Dolphins are still very much in the running for a playoff berth, with the Patriots and Jets on tap in their two remaining games.
While some frustrated Dolphins fans feel it never should have been this close, Jackson thinks it's unfair to hold Tua accountable for the team's latest loss given his injury situation.
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