How Tua Tagovailoa dropped the ball (literally & figuratively)

For Tua Tagovailoa, it was NINE (9) plays two weeks ago, but they were bad enough that he didn’t lock up the quarterback job. Now, with Michael Penix Jr. cleared to return, that opportunity could be slipping away. A dropped snap in a preseason game and another dropped snap at joint practice are perfect imagery of Tua dropping the literal and figurative ball, allowing Penix a shot to win the role. To lose the job—or, at a minimum, leave it open until Penix returned—was certainly not what Tua had hoped for, but it’s the reality he now faces. The frustrating part for Tua is that Penix doesn’t necessarily have to take the job from him; Tua’s recent mistakes have simply left the door wide open. And once that door is open, Penix has every opportunity to walk through it.