Chop Robinson has been waiting two years for a clean shot at Tua Tagovailoa. He might finally get one on Friday night.
The Dolphins pass rusher told reporters he is looking forward to hitting Tagovailoa in the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons. When asked if he would tell his former teammate it was just business afterward, Robinson made it clear this is not business.
“It’s personal,” Robinson said.
That is a strong quote for a preseason game. But context matters here. Robinson spent two seasons in Miami with Tagovailoa. In practice, he was never allowed to hit the quarterback. Now Tua is in a different jersey and the rules are different, and Robinson is not hiding what he wants to do about it.
Tagovailoa is officially getting the start Friday. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday that Michael Penix Jr. will not play, meaning Tua gets a full look against the team that released him. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand follow him in.
Miami released Tagovailoa this offseason after years of concussion concerns and cap gymnastics. He signed a one year deal with Atlanta and has been competing with Penix for the QB1 job. Reports said Tua was the early favorite because Penix was not medically cleared, but Penix has since been cleared and the competition tightened up.
Robinson was the No. 21 overall pick out of Penn State in 2024. He is not a locker room troll. When he says something is personal, he means it.
The football read here is that Miami is going to send extra pressure early and often. If Tua is going to lock down the Week 1 starting job, he needs to look calm in the pocket against a defense that has scouting reports on every one of his tendencies. There is nothing scarier for a quarterback than facing a team that used to hold his cleats.
Prediction. Tua handles the first series clean, then Miami dials up a stunt on second down, and Robinson gets home. Whether it counts on tape or not, this ends with Chop standing over his old teammate at least once. He wants it too badly to leave without it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
