Tua Tagovailoa and his former Miami Dolphins teammates are experiencing similar starts to the 2026 NFL season.
The Dolphins are 0-2, but so is Tagovailoa’s new team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Ironically, and in what won’t be a shock to many Dolphins fans, Tagovailoa has also been dealing with an injury.
He was supposed to start Week 1, but on the Thursday before the Sunday game, he hurt his oblique in practice. That ruled him out for the opener and then also for Week 2.
Atlanta was already without Michael Penix Jr. (recovering from knee surgery), and so the Falcons were forced to start Cooper Rush in two games they lost to begin the year.
The Dolphins haven’t looked much better on offense, despite the optimism that surrounded new free agent signing Malik Willis, who is more or less the replacement for Tagovailoa.
Miami didn’t necessarily expect to do a lot of winning this season. They’re shelling out more money for players who aren’t on their roster than on players who are, led by Tagovailoa.
The Falcons, on the other hand, hoped Tua and Penix could somehow help them contend for the NFC South title.
That hasn’t happened so far, but the news for both lefty quarterbacks is improving ahead of a Week 3 Thursday Night Football game for Atlanta in Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.
Falcons’ QB Plan With Tua Tagovailoa
The Falcons already announced earlier this week that Penix will be getting the Week 3 start.
But would Tua come back to be a part of the depth chart in some healthy form? It looks like the answer is yes.
This is what NFL reporter James Palmer shared on X on Wednesday:
Not only has Michael Penix returned and will start Thursday vs the Packers, Tua Tagovailoa will serve as his backup in Green Bay I’m told. Both good to go.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 23, 2026
This may have been the most likely plan when Tagovailoa was signed in free agency, that he’d be the QB2 behind Penix. There’d been no way to see it play out before this, though.
This will be the first chance to see how Penix has recovered from his 2025 torn ACL. It’ll also mean Tagovailoa is one play away from appearing in a regular season game for a team other than the Dolphins for the first time.
Dolphins Difficulties
Miami may not be doing any better with Tagovailoa, but it certainly hasn’t been an easy start.
Willis has run for one touchdown and also threw a meaningless 77-yard TD to Ryan Miller at the end of a one-sided loss in Week 2.
It won’t get simpler for the Dolphins in Week 3. They have to take on the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
The Dolphins surely miss the player Tua once was. He just probably isn’t that guy anymore, and for now he’ll settle for the backup role in Atlanta.
Ex-Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Role Revealed for Thursday Night Football