One of the remaining quarterback competitions in the NFL is happening with the Atlanta Falcons. While Tua Tagovailoa, the new signing in free agency, had a lead due to health, Michael Penix Jr. is now the favorite. Still, the battle is not done, and Tagovailoa still has a chance to prove himself to the staff.
In the last game of the preseason, the Falcons are facing the Miami Dolphins, which is Tagovailoa’s former team. A big chance for the veteran QB, but a significant mistake may have closed the door on Tagovailoa becoming the starter.
NFL Fans React to Tua Tagovailoa’s Latest Mistake in Preseason
With the Dolphins, Tagovailoa had a very up-and-down career, ending with his release from the team. In his last season with the team, Tagovailoa finished 28th in PFN’s QB Impact Metric.
There were many things that went into his struggles in Miami, but the Falcons clearly viewed him as a potential starter, especially with Penix Jr. recovering from his ACL injury. Penix Jr. has had a long history of knee issues, so Tagovailoa could have also been a long-term backup plan.
No matter what, preseason was a time for Tagovailoa to prove his worth to the team, but some bad moments from the veteran have put a halt to that possibility. The latest came against the Dolphins, when he fumbled, and Miami recovered.
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After that play, the NFL World had some major reactions:
A Dolphins fan took a moment to take a shot at Tagovailoa: “Tua doing Tua things.”
Tua doing Tua things 🥹🤭 https://t.co/GPwjuCTqzi
— Michele Arellano (@noturavgdolfan) August 28, 2026
One fan begged for Tagovailoa to stop fumbling, “Quit fumbling the snaps, Tua!”
Dolphins podcaster Nic Rohloff poked fun at Tagovailoa’s hand size and brought up his history of fumbling in games, “Tiny hands Tua will never not fumble the football!”
Tiny hands Tua will never not fumble the football! pic.twitter.com/MIsvRrcSM2
— Nic Rohloff (@nic_rohloff) August 28, 2026
Another Dolphins fan questioned how Tagovailoa’s continues to have his fumbling issues, “LMFAOOOOOO TUA FUMBLE HOW DOES HE FUMBLE SO MUCH???”.
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Podcaster Average Joe Sports had some flashbacks to Tagovailoa’s time in Miami, and feels like the QB never left, “It’s like Tua never left! FUMBLE!”
It’s like Tua never left!
FUMBLE! pic.twitter.com/7erpLRSXeX
— Average Joe Sports Talk Network (@joes_talk) August 28, 2026
Another Dolphins fan also jokingly reminisced about Tagovailoa’s career with Miami, “Just like old times. Welcome back, Tua #fumble.”
One fan mentioned that Tagovailoa should just retire after that fumble, “Turn on Dolphins preseason game just in time to see Tua fumble the ball. He just needs to retire.”
Turn on Dolphins preseason game just in time to see Tua fumble the ball. 😂😂😂 he just needs to retire.
— Cody Foster (@Co2dy_Foster) August 28, 2026
Another account, responding to a fan expressing regret about Tagovailoa, brought up the fumble, which reminded them of what the QB would bring to the team: “Tua fumble. That’s the guy we remember.”
Tua fumble. That’s the guy we remember
— Lorraine (@10minmanicure) August 28, 2026
Fantasy football analyst CantaLoupe joked about one of Tagovailoa’s fumbles finally helping the Dolphins, “A Tua fumble that actually helps the Dolphins? Now I’ve seen it all.”
Clearly, this was a massive mistake by Tagovailoa, and in a QB battle, it could be what leads the Falcons to choose Penix Jr. instead.
A bit later in the matchup, the Falcons clearly saw enough for Tagovailoa and took him out of the game. He had a decent performance, but it’s likely that Penix Jr. will become the Falcons’ starter if he gets fully healthy by Week 1.
