Dolphins HC Brian Flores Squashes Trade Rumors Regarding QB Tua Tagovailoa

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores isn't concerned with rumors ahead of the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline.

With a report from OutKick's Armando Salguero that the Dolphins and Texans have been engaged in conversations to send quarterback Deshaun Watson to Miami, Flores seemingly squashed any possibility of the blockbuster happening during his press conference on Friday.

“Tua is our quarterback. I’m happy with our quarterback," Flores said.

On one side of the coin, of course Flores is going to say that about his second-year signal caller in Tagovailoa. On the other, however, where there is smoke, there is fire. And there's been lots of smoke over the past year regarding a Watson trade to the Dolphins. It continues to ramp up as the trade deadline approaches.

Since being drafted with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tagovailoa has only started in 12-of-22 games for Miami. Last season saw journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick often come in for Tagovailoa as "bullpen relief" as you would see in the MLB. This season, Tagovailoa suffered a rib injury in Week 2 and just made his return last Sunday in a 23-20 overtime loss to the Jaguars.

The wheels have fallen off on the Dolphins season, sitting at 1-5 with playoff aspirations likely shattered. Watson would be a vast upgrade under center but comes with off the field issues and a steep asking price from Houston. Watson's 20 plus sexual assault allegations have yet to be dealt with in court, making it unlikely he'll see the field this season, even if a trade is made. Watson is not on the commissioner's exempt list, making him eligible to return at any teams' discretion.