Doug Flutie Praises Tua Tagovailoa, Compares QB to Michael Vick Amid Rumors

When Doug Flutie watches Tua Tagovailoa, he sees Michael Vick. Yes, that Michael Vick. But no, not in the way you're thinking.

The former NFL quarterback spoke to TMZ Sports, saying Tagovailoa's arm strength and way he throws the football reminds him of Vick.

"He's a difference-maker," Flutie said. "He's one of those guys that might be a question mark at the NFL level because of his pure athleticism, but you look at things like when he came off the bench in the national championship game, his first real playing time, everything was on the line and he performed.

"The big stage never affected him. He went out and balled, just flat-out played and he's got a tremendous arm. He just flicks his wrist and that thing's spinning. It reminds me of the way the ball came off Michael Vick's hand because he's a lefty and how hard and far he can actually throw the football."

While Tagovailoa and Vick have rarely been mentioned in the same sentence during this draft process, Flutie doesn't have all that many comps when looking at left-handed quarterbacks. The last left-handed quarterback taken in Round 1 was Tim Tebow, all the way back in 2010. There hasn't been a left-handed quarterback on an NFL roster since Kellen Moore in 2017, who was also the last lefty to throw a pass two years prior.

Suffice it to say the modern day comps are limited. Tagovailoa is the most touted lefty prospect since Matt Leinart in 2006, and Leinart is considered a bust.

Vick's the last lefty to have a successful NFL career, and when subtracting the athleticism component out, the comparison starts to make more sense. Tagovailoa is a more accurate passer than Vick ever was and Vick had more raw arm strength.

Tua's biggest concern coming into this draft is whether he'll be able to stay on the field after suffering several injuries in his college career—most notably a hip fracture that prematurely ended his stay at Alabama. That said, Flutie's high praise is a signal of just how large the expectations will be once his name comes off the board this week.