Former Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is looking for a fresh start with the Atlanta Falcons. This offseason, Miami chose to cut ties with the former first-round pick. Moreover, that decision from Sullivan led to the Dolphins absorbing a staggering $99.2 million in dead cap.
After the Dolphins cut ties with him, Tagovailoa will be looking to win the starting QB job with the Falcons. However, standing in his way is Michael Penix Jr. as both players battle it out in the competition.
Nonetheless, the former Dolphins starting QB received a strong take from ex-NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer, who stated the outcome Atlanta should want in this competition.
“With Kevin Stefanski coming in, you’re going to be running a very similar offense that both guys are used to, a West Coast scheme,” Hoyer said in a May 26 video from SiriusXM NFL Radio. “It shouldn’t take much for them to get up to speed when it comes to operating that system. It’s just a matter of who’s going to take the reins.
“And I think it’s similar here to Minnesota. If you’re the Falcons, you want Michael Penix Jr. to win this job. You drafted him in the first round. Obviously, it’s a new regime, so it’s their first look at him and their first time working with him.”
Tua Tagovailoa Must Step Up If Michael Penix Jr. Falters
Despite Hoyer stating that Atlanta should want Penix to emerge as the victor in this QB battle, he does not think that if the Falcons’ former first-round pick doesn’t rise to take the reins, then this is where Tagovailoa should seize his moment.
“If he doesn’t, you have a guy in Tua who, at one point, was on fire down in Miami,” Hoyer added. “I think they both push each other to get the most out of their play, and you see where the chips fall.
“Similar to Minnesota, at some point you’ve got to make a decision, right? You’ve got to say, ‘This is our guy. He stepped up. He has shown that he is above the other guy in this competition.’ The team needs to know who we’re going to rally around and build this team around.”
Ex-Dolphins OC on Tua Tagovailoa’s Future
As Tagovailoa prepares for a fresh start, former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith (2022-25) shared his thoughts on whether the ex-Miami QB can find success in Atlanta.
“If he keeps staying true to himself and maintains who he is, along with that conviction and belief in himself and how he needs to play to be at his best, he can be as good as he wants to be because he’s shown he can do it,” Smith told Terron Armstead on the May 21 edition of “The Set.”
“He can reach the ceiling of ability in this league and play at an extremely high level. It’s about what you learn through the journey and your time there because when you experience the highs and lows, if you learn from it, it makes you stronger. You’re only going to be better from that time.”
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