Falcons Quarterback Struggles Badly in Debut

Tua Tagovailoa's Falcons Debut

Tua Tagovailoa made his Atlanta Falcons debut last night in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos. Tua signed with Atlanta this past off-season after spending the first six years of his career in Miami. He was selected fifth overall in the 2020 draft.

Tagovailoa only played in two series in Friday night’s loss, but even with a small sample size, he was anything but impressive. He went 3-5 passing for only 22 yards and lost a fumble. Now this isn’t going to be enough to necessarily get him benched at this point, but the performance does come at an interesting time.

At this point in his career, Tua has more to prove than when he was drafted six years ago. He was cut by Miami after a poor 2025 season and is now fighting for a starting job in Atlanta.

Miami Dolphins Tenure

During the 2023 season, Tagovailoa was considered a top ten quarterback in the league. He threw for over 4500 yards, 29 touchdowns and completed nearly 70% of his passes. He led the NFL in passing yards and led the Dolphins to the playoffs. This year was big for Tua. After a shaky first few seasons in the league, he had shown he can put up the big numbers and lead a team to the playoffs.

Poor Performance in 2025

Come the 2025 season, Miami was waiting for Tua to play the way he did in 2023. Unfortunately, that guy wasn’t showing up. He would only throw for 2600 yards, 20 touchdowns, and even threw 15 interceptions. He started 14 games and the Dolphins went 6-8 in those starts. Tagovailoa would eventually be benched for rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers. The biggest problem wasn’t that his performance declined, it was that he continued to make the same mistakes over and over again. It felt like every time a Dolphins game came on TV, you’d see a Tua interception immediately. 

A New Beginning in Atlanta

Tua signed with Atlanta after Miami let him walk. Current Falcon’s quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been injury riddled ever since he entered the league in 2024. He’s supposed to be the answer for Atlanta in the long run. However, he’s coming off a torn ACL last season so the Tua signing makes sense. At the very least, Tagovailoa brings a veteran presence and has shown that at his best he can be a starting quarterback in this league. 

Penix hasn’t been cleared for full contact yet, so Tagovailoa has been getting the starting quarterback reps. 

Can Tagovailoa Prove He's a Starting Quarterback?

Tua Tagovailoa isn’t just trying to show that he can simply play in the NFL. He’s trying to show that he can be the guy who leads a team to the playoffs, and that he can be among the league’s best quarterbacks. He was drafted fifth overall for a reason. He’s been a Pro Bowler and a leader on a strong Miami offense in 2023. The fortunate thing for Tua is that he’s only 28 years old. He isn’t at the end of his career looking for a last ditch effort to stay in the league. He’s got legitimate years left in the NFL, and is looking for a reset with the Falcons.

One poor preseason performance shouldn't be the reason Tua loses the starting job. He only played two series, and the team struggled as a whole. However, Tagovailoa doesn’t have time to waste opportunities. Michael Penix Jr. will eventually be cleared to return, so each snap Tua gets is another chance to show Atlanta and the NFL that he can still be that guy. For Tua Tagovailoa, this season isn’t about proving he can still play in the league, it’s about proving he can lead an NFL franchise once again.