Habib: Ryan Fitzpatrick is insurance policy Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa both need

Palm Beach Post (FL)

Good luck flipping on a game and not being bombarded by those State Farm commercials trumpeting the bond between Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and the insurance business.

Much more quietly, Brian Flores has begun production of his own little insurance policy. It too involves a quarterback.

No, this isn’t story No. 999 this week on Tua Tagovailoa. Rather, this is all about the man he’s replacing as the Dolphins’ starter, Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has become the best insurance policy this team has.

Before going any further, let’s be clear: All these proposed trades being bandied about by the media, which would ship Fitz to the QB-needy Dallas Cowboys, make sense for everybody.

Everybody except the Miami Dolphins.

For the Dolphins, it makes no sense unless a team is calling Chris Grier and offering more than anybody is going to offer for a quarterback about to blow out 38 candles on his birthday cake.

This has nothing to do with the fact that everybody loves Fitz or that the beard beginning to sprout on Flores’ chin can’t hope to compete with Fitz’s.

This has everything to do with letting each Dolphin know that 2020 is every bit as important as we’ve been led to believe. That they’re not building for the future at the cost of the present.

Because benching a veteran who has been playing well at the expense of a rookie -- even the anointed franchise QB Tagovailoa is -- and then parting with that veteran … all those moves would scream rebuilding.

More: Schad: Tua Tagovailoa's leadership plan works off Ryan Fitzpatrick blueprint

Here’s one good reason Fitzpatrick remains a valuable insurance policy to the Dolphins: Reid Sinnett. Reid who? Sinnett is a rookie from San Diego on the practice squad. He’s also the only other quarterback in the facility. As such, were it not for Fitz, Sinnett would be called upon in a pinch until the Dolphins yank somebody off the street.

It’s a GM’s job to prepare for such doomsday scenarios even while things are going swimmingly. Tagovailoa’s well-known injury history -- we’re 2 1/2 weeks away from the anniversary of his hip injury -- puts even more onus on Grier to be certain a capable No. 2 is ready.

Of course, nobody wants to see players get hurt. Even the baddest man in the NFL, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, probably would settle for just bruising the rookie’s ego Sunday. But Fitzpatrick’s stock remains high here for one more excellent reason.

Tua.

During the weekly session the Dolphins’ starting quarterback has with the media, Tagovailoa was asked Wednesday whether his well-known kinship with Fitzpatrick feels different now that their roles are reversed.

“It’s the same thing as when Fitz was playing,” Tagovailoa said. “Nothing really feels any different.”

Last week, Fitzpatrick couldn’t contain his heartbreak upon being demoted yet pledged to continue being a team guy. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, compared their relationship to that of father/son.

Wednesday, Tagovailoa reminded everyone it’s also teacher/student.

“Now that I’m in, the only thing that’s different is I’m getting the reps now,” Tagovailoa said. “But with Fitz, after a series, when we have our first team series, second team series, third team series, I come off to the sideline and Fitz always has something that he wants to say to me, whether it has to do with protection, with where he would look at as far as progression reads and how he would read certain things out. That can make it easier for me hopefully come time Sunday.”

Anything that makes Tagovailoa feel comfortable Sunday for his first meaningful NFL action should be considered a positive. Valet park his car at Hard Rock Stadium, for goodness sakes. Give him first crack at the green Gatorade. All the Bazooka bubblegum he desires.

And make sure that Fitzpatrick, like a good neighbor, is there for him.

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Habib: Ryan Fitzpatrick is insurance policy Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa both need

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