Mitchell: Tua Tagovailoa Does Not Throw A Better Football Than Dan Marino

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NFL Draft is coming up very quickly and that means the hype machine will be in full force for prospective draft picks.

Add former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer to the list of ultimate hype men for former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Dilfer has not so secretly been training Tagovailoa who has been recovering from a dislocated hip and helping him prepare for the NFL Draft.

All signs point to Tagovailoa being fully recovered. However, in a recent interview with the Washington Post, Dilfer had some interesting quotes comparing his student to some of the all-time great quarterbacks.

“If he would have never gotten hurt there would have been no discussion about who the best player in the draft is…He throws the football better than anyone throws the football,” Dilfer said. “He throws better than Aaron Rodgers and Dan Marino. Whoever gets him wins the draft because you are getting a Hall of Fame player.”

That is a very bold take by Dilfer. Is it more of him pumping up his guy or is it a fact?

All signs point to the former.

sports.ksl.com’s Scott Mitchell knows a lot about being an NFL quarterback, as he was in the league for 12 years. Plus, he was a teammate of Marino for three years and he thinks the comparison is beyond ridiculous.

“I will just tell you… this is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard since we have been on the air [in nearly two years],” Mitchell said. “As a pure passer, his motion, his accuracy, and his whole package, nobody came close to throwing the ball like Dan Marino.”

“Trent Dilfer is off his rocker,” continued Mitchell” “He secretly trained Tua Tagovailoa and all Dilfer is doing is putting out propaganda. This is not verified and is crazy talk. When you say it like this you lose all credibility.”

.@19scottmitchell has some thoughts as a former teammate of Dan Marino. pic.twitter.com/KpnFC0cJYD

— KSL Unrivaled (@KSLunrivaled) April 12, 2020

Dilfer did take a lot of heat for comparing Tagovailoa to being better than Marino, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As well as Rodgers, who will be enshrined in Canton once he is eligible.

Not surprisingly, Dilfer was asked to clarify his comments and he backtracked, sort of, when he was interviewed by the Miami Herald.

Two comments to Les got combined into one. I said he throws it “as well as AR and DM” I never said better (that would be crazy talk). I said he throws it BETTER than AR did at THIS STAGE of their development. Thx for asking

— Trent Dilfer (@DilfersDimes) April 10, 2020

Dilfer hasn’t backpedaled that quickly even when he was under center. This comment is a little bit more reasonable, however, if the two quotes got put together as one it would still say Tagovailoa is a better passer than a pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks as separate quotes.

Regardless, Dilfer is hyping up his guy and logic would say to go with Mitchell who has seen Marino throw thousands of times and up close over a number of years plus he has no rooting interest in Tagovailoa’s pro prospects.

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