Currently, the frontrunner for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award is Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. According to the odds provided by Caesars Sportsbook, he leads the pack with a +350 rating, placing him ahead of Patrick Mahomes (+450) and Josh Allen (+800) in the MVP race.
However, Tua Tagovailoa’s teammate, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, believes that the quarterback is not receiving the recognition he deserves. Hill expressed his frustration on his ‘It Needed To Be Said’ podcast, saying, “I’ve had enough of people unfairly criticizing my quarterback. I’m really tired of it. I’m going to stand up and say it right now – I’m tired of people disparaging my quarterback.
He’s been performing exceptionally well this season, and it’s time for people to stop unjustly criticizing him. Many people don’t understand the challenges my teammate had to overcome just to get to this point. Especially considering what he went through last year. Now, he’s in the MVP conversation, and that’s a remarkable achievement. There aren’t many quarterbacks in this league who can claim that.”
Hill’s sentiments are supported by the statistics. Tagovailoa has been a standout performer in the NFL this season. After six weeks, he leads the league in various categories, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per attempt, yards per completion, touchdown rate, passer rating, and EPA/dropback, as reported by Tru Media.
His completion rate is at a career-high 71.1%, and he’s been the driving force behind the league’s most explosive offense. This can be attributed to his accurate passing, Mike McDaniel’s offensive strategies, and the incredible speed of the Dolphins’ skill position players.
While there have been suggestions that Tagovailoa relies on short passes, letting his teammates do the heavy lifting, the data shows otherwise. He is effectively pushing the ball downfield, doing so with remarkable speed, and achieving great success. It remains to be seen whether he can sustain this level of performance, but there’s no need to downplay his accomplishments by attributing them solely to the contributions of others.
