Tua Tagovailoa to sign with Falcons as former Dolphins starter looks for reset
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NFL free agency. The Atlanta Falcons found their replacement for Kirk Cousins, reportedly agreeing to terms Monday with future Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, league sources told The Athletic. The Dolphins announced early Monday that they will release Tagovailoa on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year, incurring a record $99.2 million in dead money on their salary cap. The Dolphins will pay the vast majority of his salary in 2026, making the quarterback a very low financial risk for the Falcons. advertisement The move, which came after the Dolphins failed to find a trade partner to take on Tagovailoa's contract, ends a tenure marked by occasional offensive fireworks, repeated head injuries and zero playoff wins. Tagovailoa, 28, is less than two years away from receiving a monster extension from the Dolphins in the summer of 2024, which made him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. Miami selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and saw enough during his first four years to give him the big second contract, despite Tagovailoa's injury concerns. Tagovailoa missed six games in the first season on the new contract, including four after suffering a concussion in Week 2, but was consistent in his on-field performance in the 11 games he started. Tagovailoa's 2025 season was a different story. He had problems on the field and made headlines for saying the wrong things. The Dolphins were one of the worst teams in the NFL during the first half of the season before going on a four-game winning streak after Halloween. Tagovailoa's poor season got worse when he was benched after the team's 28-15 Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins revamped their leadership in the offseason, hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager and Jeff Hafley as head coach. Despite the significant cap hit of Tagovailoa's release this offseason, the new regime decided to part ways and look for a new answer at the quarterback position. how it fits It's impossible to know whether the Falcons' new regime (president of football Matt Ryan, general manager Ian Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski) views Tagovailoa as a true competitor for the starting job with third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. or simply a veteran security blanket. At the very least, Tagovailoa gives Atlanta a competent starter until Penix can return from the ACL tear that ended his 2025 season in Week 11. advertisement Penix and the team have been optimistic in their assessments of his rehab this offseason. But the first game of the 2026 season is just nine months away from his injury, so there is no guarantee he will be ready for the start of the season. Even if he is, he will miss most of the offseason practices. Penix is 4-8 as a starter in his two years in the league, so he's not a proven commodity. But Stefanski said he's excited about Penix's "journey." Like Penix, Tagovailoa is left-handed, so that will make life a little easier for offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and the rest of the offensive players. Impact of the 2026 list We know Tagovailoa and Penix will be Nos. 1 and 2 on Atlanta's quarterback depth chart. We're just not sure what the order will be. The Falcons still need a third quarterback, but they can use that spot on a developmental player later in the draft. Cap update The Dolphins will continue to pay the majority of Tagovailoa's salary, so he can play for the Falcons for the minimum of $1.2 million in 2026. Miami will pay him $54 million this year, minus the value of his deal with Atlanta. Josh Kendall's Takeout You have to worry a little when your team signs a player that another team just ate up $99.2 million.