On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins fell to 0-5 after a disappointing loss against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium.
While Miami had their highest point total in a game so far this season, they left Week 5 with more questions than answers about the quarterback position. Malik Willis, who the team signed to a three-year, $67 million contract to replace Tua Tagovailoa, has struggled through five weeks, and he turned the ball over three times during the loss against the Bengals.
However, former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not fare much better, as he made his Atlanta Falcons debut and things did not go well.
Former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa Gets Bad News After Costly Interception
Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his first regular-season appearance for the Atlanta Falcons, replacing the injured Michael Penix. Tagovailoa went 2-for-3 with 34 passing yards, but threw a game-ending interception in overtime.
Unfortunately for Tagovailoa, it does not seem as if he will get a chance to make up for his costly mistake. The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones posted on X: “There is optimism in Atlanta that QB Michael Penix Jr. (ribs) will be able to play Sunday against the Bears, sources tell
@TheAthletic Penix missed overtime last night as the injury worsened as he sat.”
After the loss, Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix said, “Knowing me, I’m going to be ready to go next week because I sat out enough in my career, but I’m going to do everything I can in the training room, make sure I get back to where I want to be.”
Tagovailoa was originally slated to be Atlanta’s starter in Week 1, as Penix was still recovering from a late-season ACL tear in 2025. However, Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury in practice, which forced him to miss the first couple of weeks of the NFL season.
Regarding Tagovailoa, Sports Illustrated’s Andy Nesbitt wrote: “The QB signed with the Falcons last March on a one-year deal at the veteran league minimum. He was hoping the move would lead to a fresh new start to his career but so far he has served as the backup, battled a back injury and then threw that game-ending pick in his first chance to win over the Falcons and their fans.”
Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks
Meanwhile, as mentioned previously, the Miami Dolphins are still struggling at the quarterback position after moving on from Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa provided stability at the position for Miami, the team has struggled since 2024 to get consistent high-level play out of their quarterbacks.
Unfortunately for Miami, no quarterback in college football has cemented himself as the undisputed favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NFL Draft. As a result, Miami was recently predicted by The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner to select Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith with the first pick in the upcoming draft.
Baumgardner wrote: “Quarterback obviously would be an option for the Dolphins in Round 1, as would a trade. But this idea shouldn’t be ruled out. Smith is truly one of the best wide receiver prospects of the past 25 years — possibly beyond.”
Ex-Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Gets Bad News After Falcons Debut