Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is facing criticism on social media after appearing to use a burner account to praise himself on Instagram. The incident occurred during a difficult training camp for the quarterback, who was previously cut by the Dolphins following the 2025 season.
Tagovailoa posted photos of himself in his Falcons uniform on his Instagram account, @tuaman, with a comment attributed to himself that read, “We’re so proud of you!! You got this.” The comment quickly drew attention from users who pointed out the apparent use of a personal account to self-promote.
Social media users commented on the post, with one writing, “Bro forgot to switch to his burner.” Another noted, “Tough scenes when QB1 has a burner, lfg [Jack] Strand.” The comment was later attributed to Tagovailoa's wife, Anna Tagovailoa, leading to speculation that she may have been managing the account or that the couple forgot to switch profiles when commenting.
Despite the explanation, the internet quickly captured screenshots of the post before it was reportedly deleted. "He deleted the comment as if we didn’t screenshot it," one commenter added.
The social media situation comes as Tagovailoa is reportedly experiencing a challenging training camp. Reports indicated that his performance has made it difficult for coaches to consider him for the starting quarterback position heading into Week 1. The Falcons are also reportedly evaluating Michael Penix Jr., who is recovering from a torn ACL.
Atlanta is scheduled to open its season on the road against the Steelers, and Tagovailoa's status for that game remains uncertain.
