The Miami Dolphins have dumped the responsibility of managing a Tua Tagovailoa-led quarterback room on the Atlanta Falcons. Through three games, there is a very good chance that Tua will not have thrown a single pass on his big comeback.
The Falcons named Michael Penix Jr. as the starting quarterback for Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers as he works his way back from an ACL injury. Tagovailoa, who has been sidelined with an oblique injury, will serve as the backup after their two Cooper Rush-led humiliations.
If this is not a precautionary move, or if Penix ends up playing well against a beat-up Packers team, Atlanta may just ride the hot hand and keep the former Washington star in the lineup. Tagovailoa will end up getting thrown to the bench, which would bring an end to his chances of starting, barring an injury.
Former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa deemed Falcons backup behind Michael Penix Jr.
This is a sharp change from what the Falcons originally envisioned, as Tagovailoa went through a good chunk of their offseason program expecting to start in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. When his injury popped up, the team needed to pivot. However, it seems as though he was unable to retain his job as the unquestioned starter.
In theory, Atlanta should have been the perfect spot for Tagovailoa to get his pro career back on track. Kevin Stefanski is an offensive-minded coach; the offensive line is more than solid, and weapons like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts are what quarterbacks dream of.
Instead, the Falcons are willing to lean on someone who has had so many knee injuries that less determined players would have quit football altogether. Tagovailoa's big comeback tour may have come to a screeching halt before he even got on the field once in Atlanta.
Former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa may not start again in the NFL
While the Falcons may be more invested in a player who was once picked eighth overall, the fact that Tagovailoa is even in town is a sign that they do not trust Penix to be the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be. Rather than leaning on Tua as a possible floor-raiser, Atlanta is moving ahead with Penix as QB1 for now.
Miami might be in the middle of a very sluggish start to the 2026 season, but they finally got off the Tua roller coaster. Atlanta was likely unaware of what signing the former No. 5 overall pick would entail, and it seems like they may not be overly thrilled with their purchase at this point in time.
This would be a rotten way for Tagovailoa's time as a starter in the NFL to come to an end, but his inability to stay healthy and convince the coaching staff that he is a better option under center than Penix may be the final nail in his proverbial football coffin.
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