With the Miami Dolphins missing the postseason for the fifth consecutive season and third under Brian Flores, the questions regarding the future of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will begin to swirl again in South Beach.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were the subject of speculation all season leading up to the trade deadline, with Miami considering a trade involving Deshaun Watson.
Heading toward an offseason of even more speculation, the No. 5 overall pick in 2020 isn't concerned about the rumor mill.
"No, I'm not worried about that," he said Wednesday, via the Miami Herald. "If it comes up, it comes up. If it doesn't, it doesn't."
Tagovailoa's second season in the NFL has been a roller coaster. At times the QB looks great, authoring pinpoint passes and getting the ball out quick behind a faulty offensive line. At others, he makes brutal mental mistakes and can't stretch the field consistently.
"Obviously, it didn't go the way I wanted it to go," Tagovailoa said of his second year. "It didn't go the way that our team wanted it to go. It's tough when you have an opportunity, and you don't capitalize on that opportunity."
Injuries played a role, with Tua missing four games and chunks of others due to rib and finger injuries.
Tua's ups and downs have been characteristic of Flores' team as a whole. There were depressing lows after seven straight losses, exhilarating highs after seven consecutive wins got them into the postseason hunt, and a painful blowout loss to the top-seeded Titans Sunday to end the Dolphins' postseason chances and remind them how far they are from the top.
"I would say it has been a fun season," Tagovailoa said. "Just being able to go through the ups and downs with the guys that we have on our team. Just us continuing to believe in each other while things weren't going right. And then when things were going right, that's kind of why we're in this industry and why we do what we do. Because of the feeling of when you do win and you do accomplish what you want to accomplish, it's a good feeling for all of us."
Questions regarding whether Tua can be the long-term franchise signal-caller won't end anytime soon. The QB did just enough this season to show flashes of promise, but not enough to shut out the chatter.
He has one more chance Sunday to show off. According to NFL Research, with a win over the playoff-bound New England Patriots, Tua would join Russell Wilson as the only QBs with three-plus wins and zero losses in the regular season versus Bill Belichick as Patriots head coach.
