Been hoping for this since Fitz left. Bring in Marcus Mariota as our backup QB. He is a free agent this offseason and available. His addition would be beneficial for Tua and the team. The breakdown:
HC Mike McDaniel wants to bring in a veteran QB to backup Tua.
"We are looking for another quarterback. When you're looking for a #2 QB, there are two things. You want him to benefit the starting QB, while the starting QB is the starting QB, and empower him with how they approach their daily game plan and responsibilities. But you also want a guy that can win games should the starter go down. So a veteran backup is definitely in our discussions. It's the best player that we can find." -NFL Combine Interview 2022
Mariota was Tua's role model.
They both grew up in Hawaii and both of them played at the same High School in Honolulu. Mariota is 5 years older.
Tua hung a poster of Mariota in his family living room. "He was a big role model for a lot of us kids back home," Tagovailoa said. "Marcus has a big legacy. Marcus is a person people looked up to as a player and a human being."
They first met at a passing camp when Tua was in the 4th grade. Passas, who coached both in High School, said Tagovailoa fit right in with the older quarterbacks and receivers at the camp and that Mariota's encouragement was essential. Some of the older participants at the camp wondered why Tagovailoa, who was just a fourth grader at the time, was throwing alongside them. But Mariota believed Tagovailoa belonged and that began a friendship.
“I think fourth grade when I first met him at a football camp, man, [he was] just a humble guy, a hard worker,” Tagovailoa said of Mariota this week. “I went and threw with the high schoolers at fourth grade. Everyone was wondering, ‘Why are you throwing with us, you’re a fourth grader.’ Marcus kind of took me under his wing, so to say. I guess from there, I just really looked up to him."
Mariota mentored Tua. He would pull him aside and give him throwing tips. He would take him out to get some food and hang together, despite their 5 year age gap. Tua followed Mariota to Saint Louis High School and considered following him to Oregon, but the Ducks too long to offer so Tua went to Alabama.
But when Tua came off the bench in January of 2018 to lead Alabama to a national championship, Mariota reached out and sent his love.
"Tua is a stud. He's the next guy coming up. Proud of him," Mariota said then. "From where that kid's come, how he's grown and how he handled the situation. He's very special. It's nice to see someone like him continue to carry the torch from back home."
“Marcus has just been the standard a lot of the kids back home look to as a person, as a human being and being as good as he was,” Tagovailoa said.
Their shared Samoan heritage is a strong bond.
They both won the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award. Mariota in 2014. Tua in 2018 and 2019.
"I think it's something really cool being that me and Marcus are both of Samoan heritage and we come from Hawaii," Tagovailoa said. "His dad is Samoan. Both my parents are Samoan. It's something super cool for the kids to see back home in Hawaii."
Mariota, when he started with the Tennessee Titans, came out every home game to a song called "Polynesian People," and Tagovailoa regularly wears an Aloha shirt and an ie faitaga, or lavalava (a rectangular cloth wrap that looks similar to a long skirt), on game days.
They have similar qualities.
As Joe Schad points out: "Tagovailoa and Mariota are both known as selfless teammates who demonstrate humility, strong work habits and a deep respect for others."
Mariota can win you a few games.
Overall Record: 29-32
Career Stats
Completion Percent: 62.8%
Passing Yards: 13,437
Passing TDs: 77
INTs: 45
Passer Rating: 89.5
Rushing Yards: 1,574
Rushing TDs: 13
He might not cost a lot.
According to overthecap.com, Mariota was paid $1.75 million in 2021 and had a cap number of $3.5 million.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports identified Mariota as the top “buy-low” opportunity at his position, calling him “one of the more intriguing bridge options in free agency,” noting that the 28-year-old’s career was on an upward trajectory before an elbow injury in Week 1 in 2018—and then a slow start to the 2019 season—yielded the starting job to former Miami Dolphins first-round pick Ryan Tannehill.
Mariota will push and encourage Tua.
He has always been supportive of Tua and encouraged him to push himself. Instilling confidence that he can play with the big boys. So the comfort factor is there. At the same time, if your mentor and the guy you idolized is suddenly sitting behind you on the depth chart, you don't want to let him down. That is going to push you on a different level. Fitz was a great guy and served in that role a bit, but Mariota was truly the man Tua looked up to his entire life. Getting to finally go into battle together on the same team, game plan together, compete in practice, yet also be encouraged....it's a great support system for Tua.
Go get him coach.
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HC Mike McDaniel wants to bring in a veteran QB to backup Tua.
"We are looking for another quarterback. When you're looking for a #2 QB, there are two things. You want him to benefit the starting QB, while the starting QB is the starting QB, and empower him with how they approach their daily game plan and responsibilities. But you also want a guy that can win games should the starter go down. So a veteran backup is definitely in our discussions. It's the best player that we can find." -NFL Combine Interview 2022
Mariota was Tua's role model.
They both grew up in Hawaii and both of them played at the same High School in Honolulu. Mariota is 5 years older.
Tua hung a poster of Mariota in his family living room. "He was a big role model for a lot of us kids back home," Tagovailoa said. "Marcus has a big legacy. Marcus is a person people looked up to as a player and a human being."
They first met at a passing camp when Tua was in the 4th grade. Passas, who coached both in High School, said Tagovailoa fit right in with the older quarterbacks and receivers at the camp and that Mariota's encouragement was essential. Some of the older participants at the camp wondered why Tagovailoa, who was just a fourth grader at the time, was throwing alongside them. But Mariota believed Tagovailoa belonged and that began a friendship.
“I think fourth grade when I first met him at a football camp, man, [he was] just a humble guy, a hard worker,” Tagovailoa said of Mariota this week. “I went and threw with the high schoolers at fourth grade. Everyone was wondering, ‘Why are you throwing with us, you’re a fourth grader.’ Marcus kind of took me under his wing, so to say. I guess from there, I just really looked up to him."
Mariota mentored Tua. He would pull him aside and give him throwing tips. He would take him out to get some food and hang together, despite their 5 year age gap. Tua followed Mariota to Saint Louis High School and considered following him to Oregon, but the Ducks too long to offer so Tua went to Alabama.
But when Tua came off the bench in January of 2018 to lead Alabama to a national championship, Mariota reached out and sent his love.
"Tua is a stud. He's the next guy coming up. Proud of him," Mariota said then. "From where that kid's come, how he's grown and how he handled the situation. He's very special. It's nice to see someone like him continue to carry the torch from back home."
“Marcus has just been the standard a lot of the kids back home look to as a person, as a human being and being as good as he was,” Tagovailoa said.
Their shared Samoan heritage is a strong bond.
They both won the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award. Mariota in 2014. Tua in 2018 and 2019.
"I think it's something really cool being that me and Marcus are both of Samoan heritage and we come from Hawaii," Tagovailoa said. "His dad is Samoan. Both my parents are Samoan. It's something super cool for the kids to see back home in Hawaii."
Mariota, when he started with the Tennessee Titans, came out every home game to a song called "Polynesian People," and Tagovailoa regularly wears an Aloha shirt and an ie faitaga, or lavalava (a rectangular cloth wrap that looks similar to a long skirt), on game days.
They have similar qualities.
As Joe Schad points out: "Tagovailoa and Mariota are both known as selfless teammates who demonstrate humility, strong work habits and a deep respect for others."
Mariota can win you a few games.
Overall Record: 29-32
Career Stats
Completion Percent: 62.8%
Passing Yards: 13,437
Passing TDs: 77
INTs: 45
Passer Rating: 89.5
Rushing Yards: 1,574
Rushing TDs: 13
He might not cost a lot.
According to overthecap.com, Mariota was paid $1.75 million in 2021 and had a cap number of $3.5 million.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports identified Mariota as the top “buy-low” opportunity at his position, calling him “one of the more intriguing bridge options in free agency,” noting that the 28-year-old’s career was on an upward trajectory before an elbow injury in Week 1 in 2018—and then a slow start to the 2019 season—yielded the starting job to former Miami Dolphins first-round pick Ryan Tannehill.
Mariota will push and encourage Tua.
He has always been supportive of Tua and encouraged him to push himself. Instilling confidence that he can play with the big boys. So the comfort factor is there. At the same time, if your mentor and the guy you idolized is suddenly sitting behind you on the depth chart, you don't want to let him down. That is going to push you on a different level. Fitz was a great guy and served in that role a bit, but Mariota was truly the man Tua looked up to his entire life. Getting to finally go into battle together on the same team, game plan together, compete in practice, yet also be encouraged....it's a great support system for Tua.
Go get him coach.
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa, Raiders' Marcus Mariota symbolize future of Polynesian NFL players
Polynesian players had long been typecast as linemen and linebackers, but Mariota and Tagovailoa illustrate what's next.
Tua Tagovailoa appreciates friendship with Marcus Mariota; both could make history in Dolphins-Raiders matchup
Long before they took the college football world by storm and their NFL careers began, Tua Tagovailoa will never forget when he first met fellow Hawaiian and Samoan quarterback Marcus Mariota. It w…
www.sun-sentinel.com
Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa holds fellow Hawaiian Marcus Mariota in highest regard
Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa holds fellow Hawaiian Marcus Mariota in highest regard
www.palmbeachpost.com
Analyst Projects Ex-No. 2 Overall QB to Steelers: A ‘Buy-Low’ Opportunity
The Steelers would not need to give up any assets to get Marcus Mariota, as he's an unrestricted free agent.
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