For six seasons, Miami Dolphins fans held their collective breath when Tua Tagovailoa ran with the football. Throughout the entirety of the QB's career in Miami, there were questions about his ability to lead a football team.
Tagovailoa was a flash quarterback. He "flashed" what he could become as a top franchise QB, but he never actually got there. Sure, there were some great games, but more often than not, Tua was average. And in the NFL, average isn't good enough.
Now with the Falcons, Tagovailoa has an opportunity to rewrite his career. He is competing for the starting job against...no one. Michael Penix is still hurt, but head coach Kevin Stefanski won't name Tagovailoa as the week one starter. Why?
Former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is catching the eye of the media for all the wrong reasons
Tagovailoa took the starter snaps for the Falcons to open the Atlanta preseason schedule. He dropped a snap and finished his lone series going 3 of 5 for 22 yards. The QB didn't take any big shots and left the game quickly.
On ESPN's Get Up, former NFL receiver Steve Smith called Tua out. It's warranted. There is no excuse for a starting-caliber QB not to win a job three weeks into camp when he is literally competing against no one. Stefanski wants to see what he has in Penix first because Tagovailoa hasn't given him a reason to believe he is the unquestioned answer.
"I'm shocked that Tua [Tagovailoa] hasn't taken the bulls by the horn."@SteveSmithSr89 on Tua Tagovailoa's performance while battling for Falcons' QB1 spot 🤔 pic.twitter.com/mOVAhHrMlE
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 13, 2026
Smith cites an inability to push the ball downfield, something Dolphins fans remember all too well. While he can make the deep throw, things have to be nearly perfect for it to happen. His lack of self-confidence often leads him to dump the ball off instead of taking a downfield risk.
Tagovailoa should be the top QB in Atlanta, and the fact that he is not should be concerning. Luckily, the QB cost the Falcons nothing. The Dolphins are paying for him to play there.
One of the knocks on Tua in Miami was his inability or possibly desire to take the next step. It wasn't always easy for him, but Mike McDaniel literally built a system around his strengths. The Dolphins still couldn't make it work.
Atlanta is finding itself in a position the Dolphins already experienced. As they prepare for their first preseason game of the year, Stefanski announced that Tagovailoa would be the starter. That's not surprising and isn't a nod of support.
With Penix out, the Falcons' QB room is Tua, Cooper Rush, and Jack Strand. Naming Tagovailoa the "preseason starter" is almost laughable. It should have just been presumed. So far, nothing the QB has done with Atlanta has given Dolphins fans a reason to have even a little regret.
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