Tua Tagovailoa starts tour of Tideâs NFL quarterbacks

When the Miami Dolphins chose Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL Draft, he was the first Alabama quarterback selected since AJ McCarron in 2014 and the first Crimson Tide signal-caller chosen in the first round since Richard Todd in 1976.

The day after the Dolphins picked Tagovailoa at No. 5 on April 23, 2020, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round. Philadelphia chose Hurts from Oklahoma, but he played three seasons at Alabama.

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In the 2021 draft, the New England Patriots took Alabama QB Mac Jones at No. 15, and in the 2023 draft, the Carolina Panthers used the No. 1 pick on Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young.

In Miami’s next three games, Tagovailoa’s opposing quarterbacks will be Young, Hurts and Jones as the Dolphins host the Panthers on Sunday, visit the Eagles on Oct. 22 and host the Patriots on Oct. 29.

While at Alabama, Tagovailoa set school records for passing yards in a season and touchdown passes in a season and career.

“I think it was really the guys that I had surrounding me, my surrounding cast,” Tagovailoa said on Wednesday. “As I think about it, before, I would say, I got there, Alabama was not necessarily known for throwing the ball down the field, more so ground-and-pound. It’s the defense that makes it Alabama.

“As coach (Nick) Saban had continued to recruit other guys as we were there, I would say those guys have seen what we were able to do. It’s one of those things that, ‘Yeah, Alabama is not just a ground-and-pound team. They do throw the ball, and they throw it a lot.’ I would say with the supporting cast that I had, we definitely had some say in, I think, recruiting.”

Young said Tagovailoa’s exploits at Alabama factored into his choice of the Crimson Tide for his college career.

“It was a big reason why I went to Alabama,” Young said on Wednesday. “It was a big transition when he was there, just what the offense looked like and what Alabama moved to offensively, and it’s flourished since then. I was recruited when all that was happening, so that was a really big reason for me being there.

“I know Tua. I’ve talked to him throughout the years a good amount of times. A really good guy, a really good person, really cool, and I’ve watched a ton of film of him from Bama on. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a person and definitely him as a player, so it’s definitely a great opportunity to go against him this week.”

Tagovailoa said it “means a lot” that Young chose Alabama because of what he’d done there. Tagovailoa finished as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2018. Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, when he set Alabama records for passing yards and touchdown passes in a season.

“The things that he did over there at Alabama, I mean I couldn’t even do,” Tagovailoa said. “So for him to have won the Heisman, for him to have done the things that he’s done, breaking records over there at Alabama, it’s a testament of the family that he comes from, it’s a testament of his hard work.

“As he’s maneuvering his way throughout the league and he’s finding out the type of person that he is, the type of player that he is, I know that he’ll continue to grow and continue to find ways to do good and things like that, so I got all the respect for Bryce, and I wish him the best.”

As the Dolphins have won four of their five games, Tagovailoa has piled up a league-leading 1,614 passing yards.

Young has started four games for the Panthers, missing one with an ankle injury. Carolina is the NFL’s only winless team.

But Miami coach Mike McDaniel called the Panthers’ rookie quarterback “a baller with a bright future.”

“He’s one of the few young quarterbacks that you see coming out that see defenders when operating as a quarterback,” McDaniel said on Wednesday. “His vision is uncanny, and his timing and rhythm to the game, you can see that he’s going to be a very good player in this league, in my opinion. There’s nothing more difficult than being a rookie starting quarterback. In that process, you learn live speed. What I’ve seen is a guy that’s showing his talent through the rhythm of plays and learning certain things with regard to — he’s uncanny in the pocket, how he moves — and he’ll continue to get better at extending plays. He throws a very catchable ball that’s built for (yards after catch). …

“There’s a reason why the guys that he played with in college and how much respect they have for him. If you don’t believe me, just ask any Bama player, and then you can tell why he’s earned the respect of not only other rookies, but veterans on that team.”

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The Alabama Game of the Week is the Philadelphia Eagles-New York Jets contest on Sunday. Nineteen players from Alabama high schools and colleges are on the teams’ active rosters.

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers do not play in Week 6.

The complete Week 6 schedule (with all times Central and point spreads from Catena):

Thursday

· Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5), 7:15 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday

· Baltimore Ravens (-4) at Tennessee Titans, 8:30 a.m. (NFL Network)

· Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons (-2.5), noon (WHNT, WAKA, WTVY)

· Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) at Chicago Bears, noon

· Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals (-3), noon

· San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) at Cleveland Browns, noon

· New Orleans Saints (-1.5) at Houston Texans, noon (WBRC, WZDX, WALA, WCOV, WDFX)

· Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-4), noon (WKRG)

· Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins (-13.5), noon (WIAT)

· New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders (-3), 3:05 p.m.

· Detroit Lions (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3:25 p.m. (WZDX, WALA, WCOV, WDFX)

· Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-7), 3:25 p.m.

· Philadelphia Eagles (-7) at New York Jets, 3:25 p.m. (WBRC)

· New York Giants at Buffalo Bills (-14), 7:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday

· Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:15 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)

CHECK OUT MAPS OF SUNDAY’S BROADCAST TV COVERAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.