What’s it like to be teammates in the NFL with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa? Reid Sinnett knows

MIAMI — When Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa step onto the field Wednesday morning in Miami Gardens, it’ll be the first time the pair of former Alabama quarterbacks meet in the NFL.

Hurts and Tagovailoa are both heading into Year 3 with their respective teams. The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, while the Eagles drafted Hurts in the second round at No. 53.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all of my buddies,” Hurts said ahead of the team’s scheduled flight Tuesday to Miami.

The history between the former teammates is well documented. Before Tagovailoa’s arrival to Tuscaloosa, Hurts won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award as a freshman in 2016. The following season, Hurts guided Alabama to the College Football Playoff national championship game. However, with Alabama trailing Georgia, 13-0, at halftime, coach Nick Saban benched Hurts in favor of Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes, including his game-winning 41-yard touchdown completion to current Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith as Alabama rallied for the 26-23 victory in overtime. Tagovailoa won the starting job over Hurts in 2018, although Hurts led Alabama to victory in the SEC championship game that season. With Tagovailoa cemented as the starter, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his final year of eligibility.

Nearly four and a half years later, Hurts and Tagovailoa finally will see each other at the pro level. Although their individual playing statuses are up in the air for the preseason finale, both quarterbacks are expected to handle a majority of the first-team reps throughout the joint practices, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the Dolphins’ recently completed $135 million state-of-the-art training complex.

In many ways, Hurts and Tagovailoa, both 24, are at similar crossroads at this point of their careers. The players seem poised to prove to their respective franchises that they’re capable of being the guy. Last season, they put up similar numbers in the passing game with Hurts throwing 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions and Tagovailoa finishing with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Heading into Year 3, the Dolphins and Eagles have made similar efforts to surround their respective starting quarterback with a multitude of weapons.

This offseason, the Eagles acquired star receiver A.J. Brown, and the Dolphins traded for wideout Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins also beefed up their offensive line with the addition of tackle Terron Armstead, while the Eagles boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL — and they are coming off a season in which they led the league in total rushing.

A majority of the spotlight this week will center on Hurts and Tagovailoa. Eagles quarterback Reid Sinnett offers a distinctive vantage point of both quarterbacks.

Sinnett went undrafted out of the University of San Diego in 2020. He spent training camp that summer with the Buccaneers before he signed with the Dolphins. Sinnett spent more than one season playing behind Tagovailoa; Miami waived him in October 2021, and the Eagles claimed Sinnett off waivers just days later.

Asked about the similarities and differences between Hurts and Tagovailoa, Sinnett said, “It’s cool to see different leadership styles. Tua went about it a different way than Jalen does. Tua is a little bit more comedic and playful in some ways, while Jalen can be a serious leader. He also knows when to crack jokes at the same time. They’re both awesome. Tua was a really good friend of mine. We played a lot of golf during our days together in Miami. He was really really good to me. I’m so excited to see him.

“But they both played at Alabama, and you can see that demeanor in them. It’s definitely a unique situation. Jalen is a very, very unique leader. He takes all the time needed to get to know everybody in the room. He points out all the things he sees in the defense. I appreciate that about him, and it makes you respect him a lot.

“Jalen’s been great. He provides us insight during the games; he’s always trying to help out. I love watching him connect with A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, and DeVonta at practice. We had a really good week of joint practices, and that starts with Jalen leading the way.”

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Sinnett, of course, is in the midst of fighting for his own spot on the Eagles’ 53-man roster. During the team’s second preseason game versus the Browns, Sinnett unloaded a deep ball, connecting with wide receiver Devon Allen on a touchdown completion that netted 59.6 yards in air distance, according to NextGenStats. It was the longest completed pass by any NFL quarterback in the preseason.

“I’ve seen a lot of dedication from Reid,” tackle Andre Dillard said. “He’s always asking questions, always curious, always trying to get better. He’s always hanging around the veteran guys on the team. The hard work that he puts into it is noticeable as his teammate.”

Sinnett concluded: “I’m taking a daily approach. I’m trying to get better every day. There’s always highs and lows. You kind of have a little bit of up and down, but I’m trying to stay with that focus. It feels good to put decent stuff on tape.”