The No. 1 factor for how far the Miami Dolphins can go in 2021 is: No. 1.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa needs to show signs that he can be a franchise quarterback in his second NFL season. The Dolphins need to know if they can depend on him down the road as it’s time to put the rebuild in the rearview mirror — after a 10-6, but non-playoff season in 2020 — and start to compete.
Tagovailoa got valuable experience as a rookie, getting inserted as the starter just before the midway point of the regular season after working behind veteran signal caller Ryan Fitzpatrick.