Tua Tagovailoa has been much maligned in his NFL career for his arm – not so much his accuracy, as he has completed 66.2 percent of his 678 career pass attempts – but for the fact that it may not be very strong.
Apparently, though, that accuracy over strength model is one of the reasons Tyreek Hill chose Miami over New York, explaining on ESPN’s First Take on Monday that he wanted to play with Tua.
"I said it once and I'll say it again: Zach Wilson is a dog, but I'd rather play with the most accurate quarterback in the NFL,” Hill said on the show. "Obviously, Tua, he's not your typical gunslinger. But if you really just pay attention to his game, everything is spot on. Everything is pinpoint. Ball is on time. His fundamentals are on point, so, I mean, he takes the time to make up in other areas to be great, that other quarterbacks may not be good at. He’s a heck of a competitor and hard worker, and I’m excited to go to battle with him.”
Hill has said similar in the past, and even ESPN referenced how that ruffled feathers of those who thought he was taking a shot at Patrick Mahomes. Hill went on to say that he “sees a lot of similarities” between Tagovailoa and Mahomes, noting “a lot of people haven’t seen young Tua’s full potential.”
Maybe so, but despite Tua’s accuracy, he has just 27 TD passes to 15 INT, a QB rating of 88.8, and 4,467 yards on 449 career completions. Mahomes, meanwhile has a career completion percentage of 66.1 and has done that over 63 games – literally three times as many as Tua – so there’s still a lot to be seen.
The Jets will get to see the Tua-Hill duo twice, the first time on Oct. 9 at MetLife Stadium, and the second in the Jan. 8, 2023 season finale in Miami.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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