Another wave of Deshaun Watson reports, another press conference, another opportunity for Dolphins coach Brian Flores to make an obvious statement carefully confined to the present tense.
Tua Tagovailoa “is our quarterback,” Flores told reporters on Friday. Flores said the exact same thing on September 1, at a time when rumors and reports were pointing toward a potential Watson trade to Miami.
Yes, Tua “is” the Miami quarterback. Will he be the Miami quarterback as of 4:01 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 2? That’s when the window will have closed on the 2021 trade period -- and when the Dolphins either will or won’t have traded for Watson.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle recently reported that the Texans “could” trade Watson to the Dolphins by the end of the week. Frankly, that seems like an effort by Houston G.M. Nick Caserio to ring the dinner bell for any other teams that may want to make an offer.
Regardless, until a trade happens, Tua “is” the Miami quarterback. Until Flores provides a broader, more definitive statement regarding the future (for example, “will be”), the possibility of a trade will linger.
Tua has a way to end the chatter. Play, and play well. Also, try not to lose to a team that has lost 20 games in a row.