The Miami Dolphins will welcome back Tua Tagovailoa in the preseason final game against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 28 at Hard Rock Stadium. Moreover, Tagovailoa will get the start against his former team as he’s looking to nail down the Falcons’ starting job.
Tagovailoa had a forgettable preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, going just 3-of-5 for 22 yards with a fumble. Nonetheless, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski is seeing progress from the former first-round pick.
A good showing against his former team could help Tagovailoa solidify himself as the starter. However, another rough game could lead to an uncertain future for the ex-Dolphin, as NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio stated.
The Atlanta Falcons still haven’t named a starting quarterback for Week 1, and they don’t know when they’re going to,” Florio said on the Aug. 27 edition of “PFT Live.” “One of the primary candidates, Michael Penix Jr., is a guy who just was cleared to participate in 11-on-11 drills after his latest ACL tear.
“What does all of that say about their feelings regarding Tua Tagovailoa? Shouldn’t he be the starter by now? And if he hasn’t won the starting job by now, you have to wonder whether or not he’s even going to be on the roster by [Aug. 31].”
Mike Florio Gets Blunt About Tua Tagovailoa
Despite the Dolphins being on the hook for Tagovailoa’s salary this season after the team decided to buy him out this past offseason, Atlanta might be done if the player doesn’t show any signs of progress.
“The Dolphins are on the hook for the balance, up to $54 million, thanks to a contract that obviously he never should have gotten. Tua Tagovailoa’s played some good football, led the league in passing yards one year. He, when things are working well, can get the job done.
“We haven’t seen many clips so far this training camp and preseason of Tua Tagovailoa getting the job done well. And it could be that the Falcons just decide they’re done with this experiment before it even officially starts.”
Tua Tagovailoa on Dolphins Departure Ahead of Miami Return
While Tagovailoa appears to be fighting to ensure that his fresh start in Atlanta doesn’t end in the preseason, the former first-round pick spoke about the emotional rollercoaster he went through after last season and Miami’s decision to cut ties with him this past offseason.
“I would say the real aspect of it is, one, it’s hard,” Tagovailoa said in an Aug. 18 video from SiriusXM NFL Radio. “There’s no other way to work around that. You can try to trick yourself into thinking it’s not as hard as what you’re thinking, but it’s hard to go through something like that.
“One thing that I ended up taking from Coach [Nick] Saban that stuck with me as I was going through that process, being benched last year, not being able to finish out the season with the guys, and then obviously being released by the Dolphins and then being a free agent was, things don’t happen to you; they happen for you. And that kind of stuck with me.”
Tua Tagovailoa Gets Blunt Reality Check Before Dolphins Game