Danny Parkins, Eric Mangini, and Geoff Schwartz discuss the QB situation with the Atlanta Falcons, and debate if Bo Nix will take a step forward or back with the Denver Broncos.
As reunions go, Tua Tagovailoa’s return to South Florida as an Atlanta Falcon against his former Miami Dolphins teammates was not exactly a happy one.
For six seasons, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins tried to make it work. They failed.
DOLPHINS NOT GOING TO 'THROW IN THE TOWEL AND JUST REBUILD' BUT THAT COMES WITH HIGHER EXPECTATIONS
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil jog onto the field before an NFL preseason game Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Tagovailoa was set back by some coaches who didn’t like him and injuries that too often overshadowed him, so he never reached his goal of becoming the face of the franchise.
And the Dolphins never came close to reaching the championship level they expected when they drafted Tagovailoa in the top five in 2020 and paid him like a top-five quarterback in 2024.
The failures resulted in a divorce during the offseason and this exhibition game at Hard Rock Stadium was the first time the couple happened to be at the same place at the same time since the split.
Everybody believes they're better off after the separation.
But no one is at this stage better off after the separation.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after losing against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
DOLPHINS CONSULTANT TROY AIKMAN WILL BE LIMITED IN MNF ROLE LIKE RAIDERS MINORITY OWNER TOM BRADY IS ON FOX
Tagovailoa is trying to earn a starting job with the Falcons and the fact he came into this game without yet having done so speaks to his failing since training camp began.
Because Tagovailoa has basically been competing only against himself while Michael Penix Jr. has been limited in practices as he makes his way back from a 2025 knee surgery.
And, yet, with his only significant competition sidelined and the path to the starting job clear, Tagovailoa hasn't been able to lock the job down.
