Tua Tagovailoa Reacts to Boos From Dolphins Fans in Return to Miami with Falcons

Tua Tagovailoa wasn't greeted warmly by fans in South Beach as he made his first appearance against the Miami Dolphins in Friday's preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.

After being booed by the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium when he took the field for the Falcons' first offensive possession, Tagovailoa told reporters he heard them but only recalled fond memories of his time in Miami:

"Well, of course I did. But, you know, needless to say, like, being able to come back here, like, I've had six years here, and those are probably some of the best six years of my life, being able to, you know, play for Miami, being able to be in front of the crowd.

"You know, I mean, [I] had a Pro Bowl here, like, had a good amount of accolades. So, regardless of the reaction, like, I mean, I love the city. We have a home out here. Like, we still have our house and whatnot. But, I mean, it is what it is. You know, I can't change any of what they did and whatnot, but, you know, it was really cool to see a lot of the guys after the game, and then, you know, talk to some of the guys during the game. So it was a cool homecoming, if you will."

Tagovailoa got the start and went 7-of-8 with 95 yards and lost a fumble in three possessions. He only played the first quarter in what was his best outing of the preseason.

The Dolphins released Tagovailoa in March, taking on the largest dead cap hit in NFL history as they completely tore down their roster under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Atlanta signed Tagovailoa to a one-year contract in free agency with Michael Penix Jr. recovering from ACL surgery. Penix was recently cleared to take part in 11-on-11 drills in a significant step leading into the regular season.

Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn't announced whether Tagovailoa or Penix will start in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tagovailoa was originally drafted with the No. 5 overall pick by the Dolphins in 2020. He went 44-32 in 76 starts over six seasons with the club, leading them to playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023.