Tua Tagovailoa entered Miami with enormous expectations, carrying hopes of becoming the quarterback who could finally bring another Super Bowl to South Florida. But that ultimate goal never materialized, and after six years, the Miami Dolphins released Tagovailoa on March 9.
Following the difficult departure, Tagovailoa found a new home in Atlanta. Now, the quarterback has openly addressed what it felt like to be cut by the Dolphins.
Tua Tagovailoa Finally Reveals His Feelings on His Dolphins Exit
During a media availability after the preseason finale, Tagovailoa admitted that his final stretch in Miami was difficult and did not hide his frustration.
“I tell you what, obviously it wasn’t fun being in my position,” Tagovailoa said. “But outside of that, I wasn’t playing up to the standard that I’ve been playing in years past, so I understand. You’ve got to be real with yourself, and that’s what it was, bottom line.”
Still, Tagovailoa revealed that he respected how Miami handled the separation.
“But outside of that, with how things went after with the trade or with cutting me or whatnot, I think Halfley and Sully, they were really, really good in that process with me,” he added. “We had a lot of conversations and whatnot… And just the way they handled it, I thought it was very professional. So, you know, kudos to them, and got a lot of respect for that.”
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Tagovailoa spent six seasons with the Dolphins after Miami selected him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He experienced plenty of success as the starting quarterback, but the team reached the playoffs only twice during his tenure. That limited postseason success played a part in Miami’s decision to move on.
Miami also changed both its general manager and head coach this year, and that organizational reset may have further influenced the decision to release Tagovailoa.
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Tagovailoa had a disappointing 2025 campaign, finishing 27th among quarterbacks in PFN’s QB Impact Rankings.
Now in Atlanta, Tagovailoa faces another major challenge as he competes for the starting quarterback job. He ended the 2026 preseason with an uneven but encouraging outing in the Falcons’ 17-12 victory over the Dolphins on Aug. 28.
Tagovailoa struggled earlier in the preseason, including a heavily criticized performance during a 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. However, he responded with sharp passing accuracy on his return to South Beach.
Playing the entire first quarter across three drives, Tagovailoa completed seven of eight passes for 95 yards. He threw no touchdowns or interceptions but posted a 116.1 passer rating, although a botched center-quarterback exchange resulted in a lost fumble.
After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski praised Tagovailoa for staying composed despite boos from the Miami crowd, saying he “did a nice job operating.”
However, Stefanski has not named a Week 1 starter between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., who missed the preseason finale while recovering from ACL surgery.
