Tua Tagovailoa Joins Falcons
Ex-Dolphin Tua Tagovailoa is heading to Atlanta on a one-year deal [https://espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48156219/sources-qb-tua-tagovailoa-sign-1-year-deal-falcons] — get this, the Falcons will now have TWO left-handed QBs on their roster. After a shaky 2025, Tua’s looking to prove he's still a starter material.
Tagovailoa is joining the Falcons on a one-year deal for $1.3 million, a minimum contract, after being released by the Dolphins. Miami will still be responsible for paying him roughly $54 million. The Dolphins will carry a dead cap hit of $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027 due to his release. The Falcons' QB situation is complicated, with Michael Penix Jr. recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 11 of last season. Penix has stated he expects to be ready for Week 1, but his return is not guaranteed. The Falcons also released Kirk Cousins, who they signed to a $100 million guaranteed contract in 2024. Atlanta's new coach, Kevin Stefanski, may have preferred to keep Cousins, as Stefanski was Cousins' offensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2019. The Falcons also brought in former quarterback Matt Ryan as president of football, overseeing the head coach and GM. Tagovailoa was drafted by the Dolphins fifth overall in 2020. In six seasons with Miami, he threw for 18,166 yards and 120 touchdowns. Tagovailoa's career completion percentage is 68%. He led the league in passing yards in 2023 with 4,624. The Falcons now have two left-handed quarterbacks on their roster. As of 2025, Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., and Dillon Gabriel are the NFL's only left-handed quarterbacks. Hall of Famers Steve Young and Ken Stabler are among the most successful left-handed QBs in NFL history.
