Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Says Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Is a 'Generational Talent'

As Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa prepares to face Patrick Mahomes for the first time, the rookie signalcaller was full of praise for the defending Super Bowl champion.

"When you think of Patrick, you think of someone who is very explosive, a generational talent," he said, per Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Whatever you want, that guy got it all. All the respect in the world from me to him." 

Mahomes, who is coming off of two Pro Bowl seasons and a Super Bowl title, currently leads the league in passing yards (3,815) as the Chiefs look poised for a repeat at 11-1. 

In his first season as a starter (2018), Mahomes led the league with 50 touchdown passes in a 5,097-yard season, with 383 completions in a 12-4 season. He was named the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year and won the Bert Bell Award that season.

But before all of that, the Texas Tech product started just one game as a rookie, serving as the backup to Alex Smith. 

Tagovailoa, who was drafted fifth overall out of Alabama in this year's draft, has a similar backstory. He originally served as the backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick before he was installed as the starter in Week 8. So far, the 22-year-old, who won a national championship as a college freshman and threw for 2,840 yards with 33 touchdowns in nine games before injury ended his final season, has risen to the occasion in the NFL.

Through six games (five starts), Tagovailoa has thrown for 898 yards and seven touchdowns and has yet to be picked off through 136 pass attempts (86 completions).

He'll get a chance to add to those numbers and start his own legacy against Mahomes and the Chiefs  on Sunday at 1 p.m.