Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami homecoming could be the end of his redemption arc.The Dolphins released the former Alabama quarterback over the offseason and he was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons.Tagovailoa (left) had a free run at the QB1 jersey but blew his chanceGettyMichael Penix Jr.’s injury problems opened the door for Tagovailoa to strike a decisive battle in the QB battle before his rival could suit up.But his performance has left a lot to be desired and Penix Jr. is back in pads.The Falcons play the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium Friday and ESPN’s Mark Zinno thinks the preseason finale could be Tagovailoa’s last chance to prove he deserves a spot on the roster.“My best guess at the #Falcons QB situation is this — granted, I’ve been wrong on stuff like this before, but,” he posted on X. “Michael Penix will be the starter Week 1. Yes, even without playing in the preseason. NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.“The QB “competition” never materialized in the true sense of one, but one thing was clear. Tua didn’t play well enough to win the job.“I’ll go one even further … Tua is playing Friday night for a SPOT ON THE ROSTER! I think it’s totally conceivable that he could be cut. “Ask yourself, what’s the real difference, in 2026, between Tua, Cooper Rush & Jack Strand? Hard for me to find one.“I will stand on that the whole way this QB/preseason thing has been handled has been beyond awful. The messaging was awful and the execution was sloppy. “But moving past all that, we are here in a spot with Penix likely being your starter in Pittsburgh.”The Falcons gave Tagovailoa a veteran minimum salary of $1,215,000, with Miami on the hook for another $54,000,000.The former Dolphins star needs a performance badlyGettyTagovailoa looks a shadow of the man who led the NFL in passingGettyIt is unlikely Atlanta cuts the cord entirely as the passer is at worst an extremely budget friendly backup.As it stands, 32-year-old Cooper Rush is the No. 3 option and has almost a decade of NFL experience.Jack Strand shows promiseRookie Jack Strand — an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State–Moorhead — has also had his moments.Pro Football Network’s draft analyst Ian Cummings has called for Strand to be promoted to second on the Falcons’ depth chart.“Should Tua Tagovailoa be overtaken on the Falcons’ death start by undrafted free agent rookie QB Jack Strand?” Cummings said. “For now, the answer at least is still probably no.“Tua is a veteran, and that counts for something, but Jack Strand has been turning heads and throwing a wrench in the Falcons’ QB conversation with his play this preseason.NFL's Greatest......Ranking the top 10......Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and moreTight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?“Ultimately, it’s all moot once Michael Penix Jr. returns to the fold from his ACL recovery because they should give him the chance to take the reins first.“He’s a first-round pick. He’s shown flashes when he’s been on the field, but for that backup spot, man, Tua has not been good in preseason and practice.”As it stands, the Steelers look set to face Penix Jr. in Week 1 unless Tagovailoa can show his former teammates what they’re missing.