Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) sets up to pass during mandatory minicamp at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Miami Gardens, Florida on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
The Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback has taken a tumble down the NFL’s annual Top 100 players list. Some are saying it isn’t far enough.
In 2024, Tua Tagovailoa earned the No. 36 spot on the NFL’s Top 100 list, setting high expectations for a breakout season. But after missing 6.5 games due to concussions and a hip injury, he slid to No. 91 on this year’s list, voted on annually by NFL players, as announced by the league over the weekend.
Of the 15 spots on the list that have been revealed so far, Tagovailoa is the only quarterback to appear.
“Unless there are going to be 15 or 16 quarterbacks in the top 90, then this is too high,” TV personality for Fox Sports’ First Things First Nick Wright said on Tagovailoa’s ranking.
Despite an injury-plagued year, Tagovailoa posted strong numbers for the Dolphins when active.
In the 11 games he started, Tagovailoa completed 291 of 399 passes (72.9%) for 2,867 yards, with 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. His regular-season passer rating was an impressive 101.4, and he averaged approximately 260.6 yards per game.
In games Tagovailoa missed, the Dolphins averaged just 13.3 points and went 2–4, compared to the stronger 6–5 mark and 24.1 points per game when he was under center.
But critics argue that despite the numbers, Tagovailoa’s production hasn’t translated when it matters most.
“Tua has a losing record against teams that have a winning record. They come up short in the postseason because, guess what, all you play are teams that have good records,” Super Bowl champion and 11-year NFL pro Chris Canty said on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike show Wednesday morning. “So I guess the question then becomes, well if he’s not healthy, and he can’t beat good teams, what is the long-term value of staying with this quarterback?”
However, those who know him best say the obstacles have only made him stronger. Perhaps the fall to No. 91 will give the former University of Alabama star quarterback something to prove.
“For Tua, I think there were a lot of lessons learned, last year in particular, on and off the field — when he was playing, when he wasn’t— [on] how to do his job,” head coach Mike McDaniel said earlier this summer at Dolphins OTA practices.
Or perhaps the No. 91 spot is really just another offseason talking point — a conversation-starter with little merit or translation to on-field performance.
Many around the league have even called the list a “joke” or “content filler,” questioning its overall value. After all, players already have enough to focus on studying their own film and that of their opponents. Making a holistic evaluation of every player across all 32 rosters isn’t exactly in the job description.
Tagovailoa’s path back up the rankings will likely depend on two things: health and signature wins. He has yet to complete a full season without missing time and remains winless in the postseason with the Dolphins.
If he can stay on the field and lead Miami to victories over top-tier opponents in the playoffs, he won’t just silence critics—he’ll force his way back into the league’s top tier.