The Miami Dolphins Super Bowl LIX Story Line You Probably Missed

The Philadelphia Eagles are NFL champions. But there's a Miami Dolphins connection to the triumph that might not have been obvious during what turned out to be one of the most uneventful Super Bowl contests in recent memory.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts wrote himself into the history books on Sunday night, winning Super Bowl LIX MVP honors by leading Philadelphia to a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that was even more lopsided than the score might indicate. Maligned throughout the season for being a run-first quarterback, Hurts put on one of the rinest performances of his career, completing 17 of 22 pass attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns and adding 72 yards rushing and a TD on the ground.

Still, you're probably wondering what a Super Bowl recap is doing in New Times — and we get it. Aside from spotting David Beckham shilling for Stella Artois alongside Matt Damon and Leo Messi promoting the upcoming MLS season, Miami fans had precious few direct story lines to distract us from the on-field rout. But Hurts' journey carries a unique connection to Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, in that the pair shared a quarterback room in college at the University of Alabama.
As many will remember, Tagovailoa famously replaced Hurts at halftime of the 2018 College Football Playoff title game and led the Tide to a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia. Not only that, but Tagovailoa’s game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass was caught by none other than DeVonta Smith, now one of Hurts’ top targets in Philly.

Six years ago, Hurts was on shaky ground as the Tide's starter. Though he had led his team to the championship game, his passing abilities were suspect, and with only 21 yards in the air at the half against the Bulldogs and the Tide trailing 13-0, then-Bama head coach Nick Saban turned to an unknown freshman phenom: Tagovailoa, who ultimately put a stamp on his coming-out party with a clutch, LeBron-style heave to Smith for the dramatic walk-off win.
Despite the high-profile benching, Hurts handled the situation with class, offering nothing but love and support for his understudy. Asked about the situation and his comments to Tua in the moment, Hurts told a reporter, "Ball. Play your game. Ball." Then he graciously added, "[Tua's] destined for stuff like this, and he's built for this. He has that 'it' factor, and I'm happy for him."

Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma for one season before entering the 2020 NFL Draft. The Eagles snatched him in the second round, the 53rd overall pick that year and the fifth QB selected, behind Joe Burrow (No. 1, Cincinnati), Tua (No. 5, Miami), Justin Herbert (No. 6, LA Chargers) and Jordan Love (No. 26, Green Bay).

Seven years later, Hurts stood atop the grandest stage of them all in New Orleans with the MVP trophy in one hand and the Lombardi trophy in the other.

The lesson here, kids, is that not all nice guys finish last and life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Entering next season, Tua and Dolphins wideout Jason Waddle will resume their quest for what their former Bama teammates Hurt and Smith already have. Come February 8, 2026, at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, we'll find out whether they were successful.