Tua Tagovailoa’s return to South Florida as an Atlanta Falcon to face his former Miami Dolphins teammates was far from joyful. Dysfunction best describes it. His six-year stint with the Dolphins ended without success.
Tagovailoa faced setbacks from unsupportive coaches and injuries, which hindered his ability to become the franchise’s leading figure. Despite being a top-five draft pick in 2020 and compensated as such in 2024, the Dolphins never reached championship heights. The failure culminated in an offseason parting, and this preseason meeting at Hard Rock Stadium marked their first encounter since.
Many feel better post-separation, but truthfully, no evident improvement exists. Tagovailoa, aiming for a starting Falcons role, enters this game without securing the position, despite competition from Michael Penix Jr., who has been limited due to his 2025 knee surgery recovery.
The Dolphins moved on from Tagovailoa regardless of the $55 million salary burden for 2026. Additionally, the organization faced hefty upcoming costs next year. They prioritized resolving salary cap issues over talent retention, influenced by previous managerial errors.
The Dolphins now seem among the NFL’s least talented, entering yet another rebuilding phase. The game on Friday featured a “Rebuild Team” versus “Struggling Quarterback.” A sparse Hard Rock audience voiced discontent over the quarterback once envisioned as their championship winner. An uninspiring performance unfolded; Tagovailoa managed to complete 7 of 8 passes, but fell short of excellence.
The Dolphins, using their backup defense, struggled with depth, spotlighting the preseason’s inadequacies. Tagovailoa’s highlight—a 43-yard completion to Kyle Pitts—was mainly Pitts capitalizing on open space against disorganized defense. Another drive ended with a fumbled snap, recovered by Miami, followed by running back Brian Robinson’s fumble, again recovered by the Dolphins.
Although positives emerged from the Miami defense during the game, the regular season looms ominously. Concurrently, Tagovailoa hasn’t fully secured his starting role amidst limited competition, although Penix Jr. recently resumed full practice.
Ultimately, there were modest successes for both sides, yet significant room for improvement remains.