Maybe someday Miami Dolphins fans will stop talking about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, another name on a long list of attempts to replace Dan Marino. The problem is Tagovailoa won't give fans a reason to stop talking.
Atlanta Falcons fans are finding out the hard way what the QB can and can't do, but more importantly, what he doesn't often show. Head coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn't name him the starting QB prior to last week's preseason opener, and after his performance, he won't soon.
Tagovailoa joined Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday and was asked about his abrupt departure from South Florida.
"You gotta have perspective....."
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 18, 2026
Tua Tagovailoa on leaving Miami, landing in Atlanta and the advice from Nick Saban that he has leaned on.
📻 https://t.co/dbQUay1t03@AtlantaFalcons I #DirtyBirds I @JacobHester18 pic.twitter.com/DOqmrqhKcv
Former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa calls his release "hard" in latest media interview
The QB talked about his Dolphins departure. Dolphins fans know it was something he needed, probably wanted, but still had to deal with.
"You can trick yourself into thinking it's not hard to go through something like that," Tua said. "But it's hard."
Tagovailoa said that going through that situation needed perspective. He credited a Nick Saban comment that helped him. "Nothing happens to you; it happens for you." That might be a positive way of analyzing a bad situation, or at least an unexpected one, but fans are still not seeing anything different in his play so far in Atlanta.
While being cut may have been difficult, it didn't come without a huge payday that will set him up for life. The Dolphins will eat nearly $100 million in dead cap over the next two seasons. He is earning just over a million this year from the Falcons.
Tua signed with Atlanta shortly after the Dolphins released him. He didn't have a lot of time to worry about the change, but his home is in South Florida.
His opening series in week one of the preseason wasn't good. It included a dropped snap on the first play from scrimmage and a series of passes that didn't go further than five yards.
In camp, he hasn't been overly impressive, as demonstrated by Stefanski's reluctance to name him the day-one starter. This is despite the fact that Michael Penix Jr. has yet to take a single snap as he recovers from an injury.
An earlier video from the Falcons camp showed Tua dancing between throws. It drew criticism from Dolphins and Falcons fans alike.
Miami fans are looking for reasons to point their fingers at the QB and find fault. It's understandable because they invested six years of hope in him. For many fans of the Dolphins, Tagovailoa represented the big change that needed to be made. His drafting was met with applause from more fans than not.
Over the years, his supporters found excuses for his inconsistent play, often citing the offensive line or the coaching, but eventually his strongest supporters lost faith. When Tagovailoa was released, it was a quiet "golf clap" from the supporting side of the fence.
Will he thrive in Atlanta? It's hard to say definitively, but the signs are not showing in his favor. Just like in Miami, some throws or actions say, "I am an NFL QB," and then there are situations where fans see something completely different.
Add us as a preferred source on Google