
The Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans are reopening Deshaun Watson trade talks.
It was a hot topic before the regular season because Watson himself demanded the trade.
As soon as the news came out, the Dolphins became the frontrunners to land the reigning passing yards leader.
The Carolina Panthers were also in the running, but Miami had more draft capital to pull the trigger.
There is A LOT of Deshaun Watson to the Miami Dolphins rumors happening right now.. everyone in Houston is saying yes & everyone outside of Houston is saying no#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/zXrL8Uquwh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 21, 2021
Conversations about the trade died down when Watson’s alleged sexual misconduct cases started to surface.
Now that the trade deadline for 2021 is fast approaching, the two sides are reportedly finalizing a deal.
In both situations, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had to continue the grind despite such a distraction.
It’s also nice that he got a vote of confidence from head coach Brian Flores, saying that Tagovailoa will be their starter moving forward.
But with general manager Chris Grier trying to finalize a transaction, the sophomore quarterback from Alabama must not let it disrupt his mindset.
Tua Must Focus On The Now
No one knows for now if the Watson-to-Miami trade will push through despite reports that conversations are gaining traction.
But until the league office receives word to confirm the exchange, Tua must block off the noise coming from this transfer.
He must channel his mind into constantly improving his game because he’s still wearing the Dolphins uniform.
Blocking off distractions is part of any athlete’s mental fortitude, especially when detractors thrive on the internet or social media.
On Deshaun Watson, Brian Flores says: “Tua is our quarterback. I’m happy with our quarterback.”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 22, 2021
They focus on the things that matter to perform at a high level continually.
Allowing outside factors to disrupt their flow may lead them to commit mistakes.
In Tagovailoa’s case, letting the trade talk sink into his mind can lead to a lack of effort.
Worse, it can affect his on-field performance every week.
It’s easy to think he need not play hard because he will be with another team anyway.
My GM @LRiddickESPN has spoken on the DeShaun Watson rumors and Miami setting Tua Tagovailoa up for failure.
You folks know how I feel about Riddick. pic.twitter.com/ALe80eUmh0
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) October 21, 2021
However, that’s not the proper approach for a variety of reasons.
First, it’s his role to try and lead the team that still employs him.
Be it with the Dolphins or the Texans, he must come in and do the work needed to improve constantly.
Quitting on his current team is not a good picture to paint for his next squad should the trade push through.
They’d instead get a quarterback that keeps on fighting regardless of the score.
The Harsh Reality For Tagovailoa
Unfortunately, the Dolphins are a depressing bunch after losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
The once-promising team is looking at a 1-5 slate, and they’re at win-now mode if they want to salvage a playoff spot.
However, Tagovailoa must devote his energy to defeat the Atlanta Falcons this week.
Their opponents are coming off a bye week and won against the New York Jets, also in England.
Work 🚂 pic.twitter.com/lZwElQTIy1
— Tua. T 🇦🇸 (@Tua) February 20, 2021
He must play at his best to add another win and possibly gain momentum against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8.
If reporters ask him about the impending trade, it’s best not to answer and show that he means business.
Entertaining even the slightest distraction about that scenario will mess up his game.
NEXT: Louis Riddick Rips Dolphins For Interest In Deshaun Watson