Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is facing online mockery after a social media mishap during a difficult preseason. Tagovailoa posted a gallery of images from his first preseason with the Falcons on his @tuaman Instagram account with the caption 'For the A [salute emoji]'. Shortly after, a comment appeared under the post from the same account that read, 'We're so proud of you!! You got this.'
Fans quickly seized on the error, with many suggesting Tagovailoa had forgotten to switch from a secondary or 'burner' account to post the self-congratulatory message. One user commented, 'Bro forgot to switch his burner.' Another, referencing his time with the Miami Dolphins, posted, 'Thx for the fumble. Made us feel like you were still part of the team.'
The comment was later removed and reposted by Tagovailoa's wife, Anna. This led to speculation that she may have had access to his account and intended to post the comment herself but failed to switch to her own profile.
This social media blunder is the latest in what has been described as a challenging summer for Tagovailoa. He was reportedly projected to be the Falcons' starting quarterback, but his performance in training camp has been subpar. NFL Network reported that his play has made it 'impossible' for new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski to name him the starter. As a result, the team may turn to last season's starter, Michael Penix Jr., who is recovering from a torn ACL.
