Tua Tagovailoa's fall from grace occurred in the blink of an eye. They say time heals all wounds — so maybe a few years down the road, Miami Dolphins fans will be able to appreciate the enthralling 2023 season with Tagovailoa at the helm, delivering an aerial assault on the league's defenses.
For now, though, the taste is sour. It's one thing for a player to deal with injuries or to fall off in performance. It's quite another for those things to happen, coupled with locker room controversy, cavalier attitude, and a lack of accountability, perfectly exemplified by the signal-caller's decision to blame his teammates for missing players-only meetings after a loss in which he tossed three interceptions.
In any case, it's about as near-consensus as it could be. It was time for a change, and the Dolphins made dubious history in releasing the former fifth overall pick by taking on a $99 million dead cap charge to see him go.
Tagovailoa, armed with a $54 million guarantee coming from the Dolphins no matter what, wound up signing not far away, with the Atlanta Falcons for the league minimum. The Falcons have their own issues with a polarizing and injured lefty quarterback, so why not add another to the mix? Perhaps they believe that if they can combine the duo, it will equal one NFL-caliber cyborg-quarterback.
Folks are quickly forgetting the reality of Tua Tagovailoa's Miami Dolphins departure
Dolphins fans have been trying to warn Falcons faithful to no avail. Now, things have gotten downright preposterous. Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon set out on the futile mission of identifying the next quarterback reclamation project based on potential Super Bowl success, a la Sam Darnold, and the inclusion of Tua Tagovailoa on the list is sure to garner more than a few belly laughs from Dolphins fans.
"Hear me out on Tagovailoa," wrote Gagnon. "Let's not lose sight of the fact that Tagovailoa has proved to be a highly efficient quarterback at many points in his career ... The still-only-28-year-old 2020 No. 5 overall pick ranks sixth in EPA per dropback over the past three seasons. He was the league's highest-rated qualified passer in 2022, and he led the NFL in passing yardage in 2023 and completion percentage in 2024."
"His 2025 campaign was ugly, but that was with extremely limited support as everything blew up for the Dolphins. Now, he joins a more stable and intriguing offense coached by Kevin Stefanski, and he'll have no shortage of weapons and support with talented young starters at running back, wide receiver, and tight end, as well as a strong offensive line."
Please excuse me while I collect myself from the ground for a moment. For starters, predicting the next Sam Darnold is like trying to predict the numbers for the lottery. Darnold accomplished something truly rare, and the near impossibility of trying to predict the next time history will be made is not lost on me. With that said, Tua Tagovailoa leading the Falcons to the Super Bowl is about as likely as a blizzard in Miami in September. Better yet, July.
Dolphins fans are keenly aware of Tagovailoa's exploits in 2022 and 2023. It's precisely the reason he was able to finagle a mega contract extension from the organization. The NFL, much like the world, is a "what have you done for me lately" league. Tagovailoa's 2025 campaign was so unsightly that the very man who resurrected the QB's career from life support — Mike McDaniel — finally pulled the plug.
Tagovailoa displayed true obliviousness when he turned on McDaniel for rightfully benching him, reportedly saying that "[McDaniel] wasn't [Tagovailoa's] guy." Not only did McDaniel curate his entire offense around the limited Alabama product, but he was at the controls when Tagovailoa accomplished all of those feats that feel like eons ago. Comparing McDaniel unfavorably to Kevin Stefanski doesn't pass the smell test.
In Stefanski's six years in Cleveland, his offenses ranked 14th, 20th, 18th, 10th, 32nd, and 31st. One top-10 finish and two bottom-two finishes hardly make a sparkling resume. Meanwhile, McDaniel's offenses through his four seasons in Miami ranked 11th, 2nd, 22nd, and 25th. Let's not dismiss the fact, either, that McDaniel's offense was inextricably tied to Tagovailoa's ever-fluctuating health status. If you are wary about McDaniel's resume, I won't blame you. Placing Stefanski in any tier above, however, is malpractice.
If the coaching aside wasn't baffling enough, the comparison of weapons will take the cake. Yes, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is a fantastic player. Wide receiver Drake London has had his moments as well. To insinuate that Tagovailoa will have better weapons in Atlanta than he did in Miami is quite the stretch.
Tyreek Hill has blazed a trail to the Hall of Fame. Say what you will about him, but on the field, he was downright untouchable. The Dolphins paired him with Jaylen Waddle, a player who started his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, including a 1,300-yard sophomore campaign as a second option.
What about running back? Well, the guy Tagovailoa rode to his six victories last year, De'Von Achane, just got handed an extension that pays $16 million per year. After a league-leading 5.7 average on his rushing attempts, it's beyond safe to say that dude's pretty good. Even at tight end, Tagovailoa enjoyed a career year from Jonnu Smith in 2024.
While the Dolphins have faced periodic offensive line turmoil due to injuries, the unit has been solid enough. Tagovailoa didn't fall off because of coaching or talent around him. It wasn't a Joe Burrow situation where the defense couldn't hold up its end of the bargain. Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the hardest to accept. Tagovailoa's body broke down uniquely early. Any fan who actually watched the games in 2025 sat through the disheartening unraveling.
Tua Tagovailoa's career year may have only been three years ago on the calendar, but it may as well have been in another lifetime. Considering Tagovailoa capable of taking a team to the Super Bowl is probably too optimistic — thankfully, that cross is no longer the Dolphins fans' to bear.
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