Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa gets one more preseason audition ahead of his Friday night reunion with his former team.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa is returning to Miami, but this time as the starting quarterback for the opposing team.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Wednesday that Tagovailoa will start Friday night’s preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins at 7 p.m. ET, giving the former Miami quarterback his first opportunity to face the franchise that selected him No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Tagovailoa is competing with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting role, with Penix sitting out Friday but fully cleared to participate in 11-on-11 team drills following his recovery from left ACL surgery.
The reunion will bring Tagovailoa back to Hard Rock Stadium, where he spent six seasons trying to establish himself as the Dolphins’ long-term answer at quarterback and end a playoff drought that has now reached 25 seasons.
Tagovailoa’s tenure in Miami featured some of the best football of his career, along with some of its most difficult moments.
After taking over as the Dolphins’ starter during his rookie season, Tagovailoa eventually blossomed into one of the league’s more productive passers.
The 2023 season was arguably the high point of his Dolphins career.
Tagovailoa started all 17 games in the regular season, led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and guided Miami to an 11-6 record and another playoff berth.
Unfortunately, injuries and durability remained a defining part of his story in Miami.
Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions during his Dolphins career — including a frightening 2022 season in which his health became one of the biggest storylines in the NFL.
Another concussion suffered against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football in 2024 forced Tagovailoa to miss time and again raised questions about his long-term future.
Despite those concerns, Miami continued to view Tagovailoa as its long-term quarterback, rewarding him with a four-year, $212.4 million extension that included $167.1 million guaranteed.
Eventually, however, the relationship came to an end after Miami hired a new general manager and head coach, and Tagovailoa moved on to Atlanta, signing a one-year contract.
Friday will give him a chance to return to the place where his NFL career began and where he experienced both his biggest successes and most difficult setbacks.
It will also give Dolphins fans a special opportunity to see their former quarterback from the other sideline.
Although the final score doesn't matter, it is a reunion for Tagovailoa, and a reminder of everything his six seasons in Miami represented.
