There is not a lot to be said about former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that hasn't already been said. The signal-caller may very well be one of the most polarizing players in NFL history. From the moment the Dolphins selected him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dolphins fans were inundated with the never-ending takes regarding Tagovailoa's inadequacy.
His first two years didn't provide the most confidence. Then, Mike McDaniel brought his talents to South Beach and took a defibrillator to Tagovailoa's dying career. For those who believed in Tagovailoa, vindication followed.
As is always the case with the cursed Miami Dolphins franchise, though, nothing good can last. The concussion problem overtook headlines of his breakout 2022 season. He managed to stay healthy in 2023, leading the Dolphins to an 11-win season, their first in 14 years. Then, a massive contract extension that proved to be a mistake.
Tagovailoa seemed to officially lose the last of his supporters in Week 1 of 2025. In a game where the Dolphins were bludgeoned by the Colts 33–8, Tua was hapless — 14 of 23 for 114 yards, a garbage-time touchdown, and two interceptions. The opener proved a troubling harbinger of what was to come, as he went on to have his worst season as a professional. He was benched following a Week 15 loss to the Steelers, and that was the end of the Tagovailoa era in Miami.
Former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's first public comments as an Atlanta Falcon state the obvious
The Dolphins cleaned house, including the general manager who drafted Tagovailoa and the coach who revived him. The first order of business for the new regime: ridding the Dolphins of the quarterback for good. After a comical and fruitless effort to trade a beyond-distressed asset, the Dolphins took a record dead money cap hit of $99 million to free themselves from his contract.
To the surprise of many, Tagovailoa landed on his feet with the Atlanta Falcons less than a day after being released. The Falcons made the certainly coincidental decision to have Tagovailoa's introductory press conference on Friday the 13th — nothing eerie about that. In his comments, it's clear that he understands why he's no longer a Dolphin.
"Based off of what happened last year, I knew I needed to play better, but I think this is a great opportunity to be able to come here and get a good reset ... I want to thank the Blank family. I want to thank Arthur (Blank). I want to thank Coach (Kevin) Stefanski. I want to thank the organization for allowing me this opportunity. I am excited.Tua Tagovailoa
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Tua's acknowledgment that he understood he needed to play better isn't exactly new. He seemed to admit as much last season, while remaining somewhat defiant about his benching. It appears unlikely that a reset is what will turn around his career.
For Dolphins fans who suffered through the maddening 2025 season, it became overly clear that Tagovailoa had not only regressed skill-wise but athletically as well. The arm strength, notably, was not the same as it had been in previous years, neutering what was once one of the NFL's highest-octane passing attacks. Whether it is injuries catching up to him or what former Dolphins teammate Darren Waller described as some kind of mental block, the result is unchanged: Tua Tagovailoa lost his fastball.
Maybe he'll flip the script in Atlanta and prove everyone wrong. For Dolphins fans, it was a risk worth taking to move on. After six seasons, they'd all seen enough of Tua Tagovailoa.