Tua Tagovailoa has never beaten Trevor Lawrence.
Not in college, where Lawrence’s Clemson Tigers obliterated Tua and the Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 in the 2018 National Championship Game.
Not in the pros, where in 2021, Lawrence’s Jacksonville Jaguars (coached by Urban Meyer) clipped Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins (coached by Brian Flores) 23-20 in London.
But remove those two games, and it’s hard to argue that Lawrence has had a better career than Tagovailoa, although some certainly try.
The Tua Tagovailoa vs. Trevor Lawrence Debate
Tua won all but one of his other 32 collegiate games and is 32-19 (including playoffs) in NFL games against teams that don’t have Lawrence on their roster.
In the NFL, Tagovailoa has had a better completion percentage (66.9 to 63.8), touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio (2.1 to 1.5), yards-per-attempt average (7.7 to 6.7), and passer rating (97.1 to 85) than Lawrence.
So who’s the better value: Lawrence (who’s the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback at $55 million AAV, $142 million fully guaranteed via a contract he signed this offseason) or Tagovailoa (who ranks fourth with $53.1 million AAV, $132 million fully guaranteed)?
The debate will ramp back up this week when Tagovailoa and the Dolphins host Lawrence and the Jaguars in the 2024 season opener.
The Dolphins, in general, and Tagovailoa, in particular, are expected to have a better season in 2024. Tagovailoa’s MVP odds (+2500 to +3000) and the Dolphins’ Super Bowl odds are both shorter (+2200 to +5000).
So why is this even a debate? The eye test. Lawrence’s natural ability gives him a much higher ceiling than Tagovailoa.
But what good is potential if it’s never fully realized? We discuss that and much more in our Week 1 PFN Miami Dolphins Podcast.