“The game of football is always going to be physical, so you can never predict what the future is going to look like with your health, whether it’s an ankle, a hand injury, a concussion, a hip injury, whatever it may be,” he said. “In terms of health, [I] went through all the protocols of what I had to do for the Falcons. Everything turned out well. Some things look a lot better than the boys thought. So you either love it or you don’t, that’s what I’d say. You either love the game or you don’t. You know the challenges ahead of playing this sport with an injury, but you either love it or you don’t. That’s what I would say.”
Unlike previous years, Tagovailoa’s last season in Miami ended abruptly not because of health, but because of poor performance. His play declined so drastically that the new Dolphins management was willing to eat a huge salary cap just to keep going. That didn’t stop the Falcons from quickly snapping up Tagovailoa, albeit on the aforementioned one-year deal.
At the very least, 2026 represents an opportunity for Tagovailoa to prove he’s worth hiring. One only has to look at Sam Darnold’s career to understand that there is potential for more for Tagovailoa with new coach Kevin Stefanski, who may have to balance starting the season with Tagovailoa with the hope that Penix will eventually take over.
If all goes well, it will be a big problem for Stefanski. As for Tagovailoa, he’s just happy to get another chance to play ball.
“It’s hard to look that far ahead,” Tagovailoa said when asked about his future after 2026. “I think the best thing right now is to make the most of this opportunity that I have with the team in my one year.” [deal] and make the best of it in terms of the interactions I take with these guys. Then, when I’m playing, I mean I’m going to play football. This is what I have dreamed of all my life. So regardless of what it looks like, I’m going to be present, I’m going to be in the moment, I’m going to be where my feet are.”