The honeymoon is officially over for Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after winning his first three games as a starter.
The young quarterback was taken out and benched by head coach Brian Flores in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Tagovailoa was unable to get anything going on offense, which forced Flores to make a move and play veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in order to provide the team with a spark. Fitzpatrick was able to do so in his first series, leading a touchdown drive to make it a one-score game.
However, Fitzpatrick ended up throwing an interception in the end zone, which sealed the win for the Broncos.
Coach Flores confirmed that Tagovailoa was taken out of the game because of his performance, but added that the starting job is still his and that Tagovailoa will be the Dolphins starter next week against the winless New York Jets.
Fitzpatrick started the season as the team’s No. 1 quarterback, but was replaced by Tagovailoa four weeks ago, despite a two-game winning streak. Tagovailoa has shown promise, leading the team to three straight wins before Sunday’s loss.
The Dolphins are currently 6-4 and are trying to make a playoff appearance for the first time since 2016.
