Tua Tagovailoa’s time with the Miami Dolphins came to an end this offseason, but the quarterback didn’t go far. Tagovailoa’s journey up northwest of Miami took him to the Atlanta Falcons, and it has largely been a waiting game. However, for Tagovailoa, the waiting is over.
Now, it is time for the quarterback to prove that one setback doesn’t define a career. The first step toward redemption was handling business at OTAs. Here’s a look at whether the quarterback has been able to do so.
The first step is showing up, and it appears that Tagovailoa has not been absent, which is a plus for the quarterback. However, he also needed to show up in terms of competency and being accurate in drills. According to head coach Kevin Stefanski, Tagovailoa checked those boxes before Wednesday’s practice via Falcons media.
“I think (accuracy is) the most important trait at the position, as we’ve always talked about,” Stefanski said. “Some guys get better at it with tweaks to how they throw the ball, tweaks to their lower body, those type of things. But there is an innate ability of – and all of our guys have this, all of our quarterbacks have this – is to be able to let the ball go, and it’s going where you want it to go.”
It has been a solid first step for Tagovailoa, but there’s still plenty of time for him to stub his toe.
What Needs to Happen for Tua Tagovailoa To Take Starting Role Over Michael Penix Jr.
There’s already a sense of doubt surrounding Michael Penix Jr., which was revealed by the team’s decision to add a high-profile quarterback like Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa will need to remain available and consistent in practice to get his shot with Atlanta.
If it reaches a point where Tagovailoa is outperforming Penix in practice, or is consistently more available amid Penix’s now documented injury history, he could get the nod.
Of course, Tagovailoa serves as the first quarterback added in the Kevin Stefanski era, which will give Tagovailoa a leg up in the long run. However, it will be up to Tagovailoa to be available and consistent through August to have a shot at being the starter in Week 1.
Either way, the odds appear high of a sighting of Tagovailoa in the regular season before the year is out.
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