Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are seemingly a top contender to land Deshaun Watson, but the Houston Texans might not want Tua Tagovailoa as part of the return package. 

"My sense is, and I know this might sound out of whack, that the Texans actually like Davis Mills more than Tua Tagovailoa," Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the Dolphins are "very heavily engaged" in trade talks with the Texans to land Watson. 

"No team has been as motivated to consummate a trade before the deadline than Miami," Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports added.

Miami could be looking for something to jumpstart the team after a 1-6 start to the season, but the move could block Tagovailoa's path as a franchise quarterback.

Houston, meanwhile, would be searching for a new young quarterback and could seemingly get one with Tagovailoa, the 2020 No. 5 draft pick who has appeared in just 14 games during his NFL career.

The former Alabama star missed three games this season with a rib injury but has played well the past two weeks, totaling 620 passing yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions. On the season, Tagovailoa has seven touchdowns in four games with a 95.1 rating.

Mills hasn't been as effective, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions through six appearances, good for a 74.4 rating.

The 2021 third-round pick had one good game against the New England Patriots in Week 5 (312 passing yards and three touchdowns), but he has just one touchdown pass in his other four starts combined. The Texans haven't scored a touchdown in three of their past four games.

Houston clearly still believes in Mills, who was the organization's first draft pick last April. Trading away Watson without getting a quarterback in return would signal even more faith in the 23-year-old going forward. 

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn't letting the trade chatter bother him.

"I hear it," he said when discussing Deshaun Watson trade rumors, per Albert Breer of The MMQB. "I do hear it. I just don't listen to it."

Tagovailoa didn't tell reporters about the details of his discussions with head coach Brian Flores regarding the rumors but acknowledged he was appreciative of the transparency.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the Dolphins and Houston Texans are "very heavily engaged" in trade talks for Watson, with the AFC South team maintaining an asking price of at least three first-rounders and two additional picks as the Nov. 2 deadline approaches.

Watson has not played this season and is facing 22 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct.

Both the NFL and Houston police are investigating, and the league could still place him on the Commissioner's Exempt List and prevent him from playing while investigations continue.

As for Tagovailoa, his comments came after Miami lost 30-28 to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

He put his team in position to win with a touchdown pass to Mack Hollins with under three minutes remaining, but the Dolphins defense was unable to prevent Matt Ryan from leading the Falcons down the field for a game-winning field goal.

While Tagovailoa made mistakes with two interceptions, he also threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns.

It represented progress for a quarterback who entered play with a total QBR of 41.8. That would rank 25th in the league if he were eligible, per ESPN.                  

The Miami Dolphins are still seen as the "most aggressive suitor" for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of the 2021 NFL trade deadline.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported the Texans are hopeful to have a deal in place for Watson and several other veteran players before the Nov. 2 deadline.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the Dolphins are "very heavily engaged" in talks, though the Texans have not moved off their asking price of three first-round picks.

According to @JayGlazer, the Dolphins and the Texans are still engaged in trade talks for Deshaun Watson.

Glazer has the latest on that and more: pic.twitter.com/J4sFeKgW1Z

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 24, 2021

Watson has not played this season because of ongoing sexual assault allegations. He currently faces 22 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct. Houston police and the NFL are also investigating the claims.

The Dolphins have been regularly mentioned as the top suitor for Watson despite both the civil lawsuits and criminal investigations continuing. Dolphins head coach Brian Flores addressed the rumors this week, throwing his support behind Tua Tagovailoa.

"I don't really get into rumors. Tua is our quarterback," Flores told reporters Friday. "I'm happy with our quarterback situation, and I will leave it at that."

There is no guarantee Watson would be eligible to play immediately if he's traded. The NFL could place him on the Commissioner's Exempt list, a move it has thus far avoided because of the Texans not having any plans on playing Watson. While no criminal charges have been filed, the optics of having someone accused of serial sexual assault on the field might force the NFL's hand.

Teams have thus far been hesitant to make a trade for Watson because of his uncertain playing status. Even in the event he's cleared of criminal wrongdoing, it's likely the NFL will hand out some level of punishment under its personal conduct policy, which does not require a criminal charge or conviction. That punishment will almost certainly wait until next season, at which point Watson's criminal and civil cases will likely be decided.

Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores talked up quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Friday despite rumors that the Dolphins are interested in acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.

According to David Furones of the Sun Sentinel, Flores said: "I don't really get into rumors. Tua's our quarterback. We're happy with our quarterback."

Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Flores also expressed his belief that Tua is smart, tough, talented and accurate before adding: "I think he definitely has the opportunity to be a very good player."

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday that talks between the Dolphins and Texans regarding a trade for Watson have "intensified" recently, leading to the belief that a trade could be finalized by the end of the week or by the Nov. 2 trade deadline.

Miami has been linked to Watson since the offseason, but he remained with Houston entering the 2021 season.

Watson has been a healthy scratch throughout the season thus far for multiple reasons, Along with his desire to be traded, Watson is facing 22 civil lawsuits and at least 10 criminal complaints—including two complaints from women who haven't filed lawsuits—related to allegations of sexual misconduct or sexual assault against female massage therapists.

The NFL has not yet taken any action, but Watson could face a lengthy suspension once the legal situation is concluded. However, he will not be deposed until February, meaning there is a possibility he could play for this season.

The possibility of jail time on top of the potential suspension makes trading for him a highly risky endeavor, however.

Miami is in dire straits after starting the season 1-5 amid high expectations to reach the playoffs.

The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and after entering the season with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter, Flores eventually turned to Tua.

He did some good things during his debut season, going 6-3 as a starter and completing 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, plus three rushing scores.

Miami went 10-6 overall and fell just one win short of the playoffs, which meant the next logical step was to reach the postseason.

The Dolphins are well off the pace in that regard, though, and Tua's play has undoubtedly contributed to the team's failures.

Tagovailoa missed three entire games and most of a fourth because of a rib injury, but he has largely struggled even when healthy, completing 64.1 percent of his attempts for 544 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions to go along with one rushing touchdown.

The panic button may have officially been pressed last week when the Dolphins fell 23-20 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a last-second field goal in London.

That marked the Jags' first win of the season and dropped Miami to 1-5, which is tied for the worst record in the AFC.

The 26-year-old Watson is a proven commodity with three Pro Bowl nods and two playoff appearances in four NFL seasons. He is also coming off a highly productive 2020 campaign in which he completed 70.2 percent of his throws for a league-high 4,823 yards, as well as a career-high 33 touchdowns and career-low seven interceptions.

There is little doubt that Watson would be an upgrade over Tua, but the questions over his future availability are likely the biggest impediment to a deal getting done.

The Miami Dolphins are reportedly working on a trade for Deshaun Watson and could have a deal with the Houston Texans by this week, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Mark Berman of Fox 26 also reported a deal could be completed this week, noting the two sides hope to work something out before the Nov. 2 trade deadline. 

Of note, though, a source downplayed the rumors to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques:

NFL landscape is fluid but in regard to trades involving the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa & Deshaun Watson, a source close to the situation texted me, "Rumors are false"

— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 20, 2021

Watson has been inactive throughout the 2021 season after reportedly requesting a trade in January. The quarterback is also facing 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints from women who have accused him of sexual assault or misconduct.

The Dolphins have been discussing a potential Watson trade for months, per McClain, but those talks have "intensified into serious negotiations."

Miami dropped to 1-5 on Sunday with a loss to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa totaled 329 passing yards in Sunday's loss, but the 2020 No. 5 overall draft pick has missed three games this year with a rib injury and has generally failed to impress in limited action. 

If he had enough attempts to qualify, the left-hander would rank 25th in the league in Total QBR, per ESPN.

The Dolphins enter Week 7 ranked 29th in the league in points scored and 30th in total yards.

Watson would represent an upgrade after finishing 12th in the category last season. The three-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in 2020, adding 33 passing touchdowns with only seven interceptions. However, because of the allegations, his status remains up in the air.

Watson is currently eligible to play, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported in September the NFL could take action regarding the Commissioner's Exempt List after the quarterback is traded. The NFL's investigation into the allegations against Watson is ongoing.  

University of Rhode Island president Marc Parlange said the school has launched a review of a racist Instagram post allegedly directed by one of its students Sunday toward Miami Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.

Linda Borg of the Providence Journal reported Tuesday the original post by the student and a separate post by Ogbah that showcased the message have both been deleted. The student wasn't identified.

"The university learned today of an offensive, unacceptable and racist comment posted to social media earlier today, allegedly by one of our students. This language is abhorrent and has no place in a community that is deeply committed to anti-racism," Parlange said. "Given the significance of the issue, the university has taken immediate action and referred the matter to the university's student conduct process for review."

Kathy Collins, URI's vice president of student affairs, told Borg they couldn't provide any further details pending the completion of the investigation.

She explained the student could accept responsibility for the post or instead ask for a panel of university members to review the situation for potential policy violations.

If the student is found at fault, the possible punishments range from a warning to expulsion from the university.

"I normally ignore stuff like this but this is uncalled for!" Ogbah wrote in his since-deleted Twitter post featuring the racist remarks.

The situation arose following Sunday's game between the Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, which took place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Ogbah finished with three total tackles, one sack and one pass defended in Miami's 23-20 loss.

The 27-year-old Oklahoma State product is in the midst of his fifth NFL season. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs.

URI didn't provide a timetable for the finalization of the review.

Miami Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah was the target of a racist message on Instagram following the team's 23-20 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Ogbah said he typically ignores the abuse and negative comments he receives on social media but pointed to one Instagram user who referred to him by the N-word (warning: contains racial slurs and profanity).

Ogbah finished with three tackles, one sack and one pass breakup in the defeat. The 27-year-old is in his second season with the Dolphins.

The NFL launched its Inspire Change campaign in January 2019 after players began protesting against social injustice issues such as police brutality and systemic racism. Colin Kaepernick's protest during the national anthem in 2016 began a movement that spread across the NFL and other major sports leagues.

In June 2020, the league pledged to contribute $250 million over a 10-year period toward efforts "to combat systemic racism and support the battle against injustices faced by African Americans."

The NFL is continuing its Inspire Change initiative this season by stenciling "It Takes All of Us" and "End Racism" in the end zone. Players are also permitted to wear one of six social justice messages on their helmets.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn't want to talk about his individual performance following Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The loss dropped Miami to 1-5 on the season, and Tagovailoa admitted things in the locker room aren't doing so well as the Dolphins are now in sole possession of last place in the AFC East.

Dolphins have dropped five straight. pic.twitter.com/I3wqPKt313

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 17, 2021

Miami has lost its last five games following a season-opening win against the New England Patriots. Three of those losses came while Tagovailoa was sidelined with fractured ribs. 

Tagovailoa looked solid in his first game back, completing 33 of 47 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 22 yards on three carries. 

But as WPLG's Will Manso points out, the Dolphins have much more significant issues than Tagovailoa: 

Tua Tagovailoa is 33-47, 329 yards, 2 TD, 1 bad INT and 22 yards rushing coming off broken ribs. Today taught us what most of us already knew. The Dolphins have much bigger issues than Tua.

— Will Manso (@WillManso) October 17, 2021

Miami's offensive line "has been a nightmare" this season, as Pro Football Focus wrote last week (h/t the Palm Beach Post.) Entering Sunday's game, Tagovailoa had been sacked four times in two games and had been pressured on 28.6 percent of his dropbacks. 

Compare that to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a solid offensive line. Veteran quarterback Tom Brady has been pressured on 13.2 percent of his dropbacks through six games. 

The Dolphins could also use an upgrade at running back. Malcolm Brown, Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin combined for just 55 yards on the ground in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville. Of the three, only Brown has a rushing touchdown this season. 

In addition, Miami's defense needs to be better. Entering Sunday's game, the Dolphins defense had allowed 12 passing touchdowns, tied for third-most in the NFL and six rushing scores, also third-most in the league. 

Things aren't looking great for the Dolphins, who are slated to take on the Atlanta Falcons before facing the Buffalo Bills on October 31. They're already in a deep hole, but that hole will be even more difficult to climb out of if they lose next weekend's game to Atlanta.    

The Jacksonville Jaguars snapped their 20-game losing streak thanks to Sunday's thrilling 23-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Matthew Wright won the game with a 53-yard field goal as time expired. He went 3-of-3 on kicks in the game, with two coming in the final four minutes. 

Urban Meyer's first season as head coach has been anything but smooth sailing, and the Jaguars entered Week 6 as one of only two winless teams in the NFL (Detroit Lions). They had the fourth-worst defense by points allowed per game and fifth-worst scoring offense.

The Dolphins haven't been much better, and they have now dropped five consecutive games since their Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots. Tua Tagovailoa did make his return to the lineup after missing the previous three games because of a rib injury, but it wasn't enough.

Trevor Lawrence and Marvin Jones Jr. took advantage of a depleted Miami secondary that was without Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. 

Lawrence broke the 300-yard barrier for the first time since Week 1. Jones had a season-high seven receptions and 100 yards with one touchdown on 10 targets in the win.

Tagovailoa threw for 329 yards and two scores in the loss. The Dolphins were one-dimensional on offense because their rushing attack only picked up 77 yards on 20 carries. 

---

Notable Game Stats

• Trevor Lawrence (JAX): 25-of-41, 319 yards, TD; 2 carries, 11 yards
• Marvin Jones Jr. (JAX): 7 receptions, 100 yards, TD
• James Robinson (JAX): 17 carries, 73 yards, TD
• Tua Tagovailoa (MIA): 33-of-47, 329 yards, 2 TD, INT; 3 carries, 22 yards
• Mike Gesicki (MIA): 8 receptions, 115 yards
• Jaylen Waddle (MIA): 10 receptions, 70 yards, 2 TD

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Lawrence, Jaguars Come Up Clutch Late

The start of this game had a familiar feeling for Jaguars fans. Miami went 75 yards on a 13-play drive that lasted seven minutes, 15 seconds to take a 7-0 lead. 

The Dolphins eventually took a 13-3 lead with 5:42 remaining in the first half. 

After the teams traded punts on the next two possessions, Lawrence went to work to help the Jaguars close the gap. The rookie quarterback led a six-play drive that was capped off with a fantastic throw and catch by Marvin Jones Jr. for a 28-yard touchdown:

An absolute DIME from Trevor Lawrence to Marvin Jones Jr. for the TD 🌟🌟

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/V2N2VcS6Sc

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 17, 2021

Trevor Lawrence & Marvin Jones (28-yard TD)

Lawrence's TD pass to Jones traveled 49.2 yards in the air, Jones had 0.9 yards of separation from #9 Noah Igbinoghene, and 2.5 yards from the sideline.

🔹 Completion Probability: 18.7%*#MIAvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/QFooKZd6ro

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 17, 2021

Before that touchdown, the Jaguars' previous three drives gained a total of 28 yards on 14 plays. 

Among the many problems that Jacksonville has had in 2021, second-half adjustments are near the top of the list. The team entered this week having been outscored by 49 points after halftime in the first five games. 

This time, though, the Jaguars wasted no time taking advantage following intermission. They needed just five plays to go 75 yards for the go-ahead score on the first drive of the third quarter. 

J-Rob sznnn@Robinson_jamess | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/ab8OzZd47J

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 17, 2021

Lawrence and Robinson split the reps on that touchdown drive. The second-year running back racked up 25 yards on back-to-back carries, including a score from one yard out. 

Those runs were set up by a terrific 29-yard throw from Lawrence to Jamal Agnew that was placed between four Miami defenders:

.@jamalagnew out here doing his thing!#MIAvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/rTJVRlRuTK

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 17, 2021

Jacksonville's execution in short-yardage situations remains a problem. The coaching staff elected to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the Dolphins' 9-yard line, but Robinson was stopped short of the sticks for a turnover on downs. 

The Ringer's Steven Ruiz noted the Jaguars' lack of success running the ball on 4th-and-short in 2021 after that play:

actually, you can fact check me on that. this is 4th and 2 or less pic.twitter.com/KvYhF8ygXQ

— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) October 17, 2021

Those bad fourth-down vibes were shunned on the final drive. Lawrence hit Laviska Shenault Jr. over the middle for nine yards on 4th-and-8, and the Jaguars were stopped the clock with one second remaining to set up Wright's game-winning field goal. 

#DUUUVAL, this one’s for you. pic.twitter.com/5SckFN7wPg

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 17, 2021

Wright had the magic touch in this game. He used a combination of physics and voodoo to make this 54-yard field goal hook back inside the goal post after it left his foot looking like a surefire miss to tie the score at 20:

HE HOOKED IT IN!@Jaguars tie it up with a WILD 54-yard field goal. #DUUUVAL

📺: #MIAvsJAX on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/FMGEvlQxwO

— NFL (@NFL) October 17, 2021

The good vibes continued for the defense on Miami's ensuing possession. Josh Allen and Chapelle Russell stuffed Malcolm Brown on 4th-and-1 to take possession at the Dolphins' 46. 

There are still a lot of things for the Jaguars to correct if they want to build on this win. Their pass-catchers are still dropping too many passes that stop drives. Shenault had two in the first half. Dan Arnold dropped an easy catch on their first offensive possession on 3rd-and-5 that forced them to settle for a field goal. 

But given how long it had been since this franchise won a game and everything that has been happening behind the scenes with their head coach, Jaguars players have every reason to be happy with this performance.     

 

Tagovailoa's Inconsistent Effort Raises Concerns for Dolphins 

It can be easy to overreact in the moment to a single play in an NFL game, especially one made by a young quarterback who is still developing. 

That play came late in the third quarter. The Dolphins, trailing 17-13, just regained possession after Zach Sieler recovered a fumble when Lawrence was strip-sacked by Christian Wilkins. 

On the very first play after the turnover, Tagovailoa gave the ball right back to Jacksonville with a terrible interception that was thrown directly to Nevin Lawson:

We’ll take that, thank you very much!#MIAvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/zU2zJQ33Wa

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 17, 2021

The television camera didn't get a full view of what Tagovailoa saw. Jaylen Waddle was wide-open down the sideline on the play, but the Dolphins quarterback didn't put any air under the throw to get the ball over the defender. 

Despite the decision being right, Tagovailoa's execution on the play left a lot to be desired. 

Some mitigating circumstances — the rib injury, an unusual coaching arrangement — but you have to really try hard to watch Tua Tagovailoa this morning and think he’s on his way to becoming a high-end NFL quarterback.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 17, 2021

Tua has been really bad today. It's been masked to some extent because the Jaguars have the worst pass defense in the NFL, but Tua is just nowhere near where a Top 5 pick should be in Year 2.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 17, 2021

Just when it seemed like the Dolphins were in trouble, things did swing back in their favor until the end. The defense forced a turnover on downs when Robinson was stopped on 4th-and-1 from Miami's 9-yard line to keep the Jaguars from scoring. 

Tagovailoa's first drive after the interception was one of the best of his young career. He went 6-of-6 for 66 yards and the go-ahead touchdown pass to Waddle. 

TD @D1__JW‼️

📺 : #MIAvsJAX on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/lgH86ZLTKO

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 17, 2021

Miami's coaching staff put a lot on Tagovailoa's plate in his first game since Sept. 19. He threw a season-high 47 passes and had his first 300-yard game since Week 17 last season. 

Mike Gesicki aided his quarterback by catching eight passes for 115 yards. He entered Week 6 with 227 receiving yards all season. 

The Dolphins' use of Waddle is puzzling. He has the speed and athleticism to create big plays, but he only has 301 yards on 37 receptions in six games. 

https://twitter.com/NealDriscoll/status/1449757150511869952

The Dolphins have only scored more than 20 points in a game once this season. If they want to find ways to consistently put points on the board, force-feeding playmakers like Gesicki and Waddle in the passing game is their best bet to do so. 

Co-offensive coordinators George Godsey and Eric Studesville are still struggling to find answers. Until they do, there's no reason to expect the Dolphins to turn things around anytime soon.    

 

What's Next?

The Dolphins will return home to host the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. ET. The Jaguars have a bye in Week 7 before taking on the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Oct. 31. 

  

Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has emerged as one of Tua Tagovailoa's favorite targets with DeVante Parker and Preston Williams sidelined with injuries.

The 22-year-old impressed in a 23-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, catching 10 passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns. 

Waddle had several disappointing performances with Tagovailoa sidelined the last three weeks because of fractured ribs. He became more of an afterthought in a Jacoby Brissett-run offense. However, with Tagovailoa back on the field, Waddle's fantasy outlook is trending upward.

Waddle and Tagovailoa have a natural connection after playing two seasons together in college at Alabama. Despite being separated for a year, the duo should continue to rekindle their relationship throughout the 2021 season.

Waddle should also continue to see more targets with the uncertainty surrounding Parker's injury. The 28-year-old has missed Miami's last two games, including Sunday's contest against Jacksonville, with shoulder and hamstring injuries, and it's unclear if he'll be ready to return next weekend.

Williams has also struggled with a groin injury and has appeared in just two games this season, catching four passes for 62 yards. In addition, William Fuller V is on injured reserve with a hand injury, leaving little options for Tagovailoa moving forward. 

Entering Week 6 against Jacksonville, Waddle played 78.2 percent of Miami's offensive snaps. He had 27 catches for 231 yards and one touchdown.

As the weeks roll on, it is clear that Waddle will continue to be a featured part of the Miami offense moving forward. His incredible route-running skills and ability to make an impact were on full display in London, and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to serve as Tagovailoa's right-hand man.

If fantasy football managers are in need of a wide receiver entering Week 7, though, Waddle probably won't be that guy. He's rostered in 65 percent of Yahoo Sports leagues, and after his performance Sunday, managers who have him on their rosters won't be willing to give him up so easily.