One early suitor is emerging as the clear favorite Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s services once he reaches NFL free agency this week
There’s strong momentum for a new home for QB Tua Tagovailoa already.
The Miami Dolphins are formally saying goodbye to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The team announced on Monday morning that they would be releasing Tagovailoa just one year into a four-year contract with the team — and that he is expected to be released upon the start of the league year on Wednesday. Miami will release him with a post-June 1st designation, allowing them to split the dead cap that follows across the 2026 and 2027 books. From the sounds of things, Tagovailoa may already have a fit for where he calls home next season, too — and this could move quickly once he’s formally released by the Dolphins this week.
The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly making a “strong early push” for soon to be released Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
In some ways, the fit for Tagovailoa in Atlanta is easy to see. The starter is a left-handed quarterback, so the Atlanta Falcons would not need to make any concessions with the handedness of their passer. That very starter, Michael Penix Jr., is injured, which gives Tagovailoa a potential easy runway to playing time early on. The supporting cast in Atlanta has strong playmakers, too. Tua was at his best with that in Miami.
And let’s not forget the new head coach, Kevin Stefanski, was a part of an organization (the Cleveland Browns) that drafted another left-handed quarterback last year in Dillon Gabriel, who has similar questions about his arm strength.
Because the Dolphins are set to foot the bill on his guaranteed salary this year, he’d cost the Falcons vet minimum, too. Atlanta could be staring at a “have your cake and eat it, too” scenario now that Tagovailoa is primed to be released — they get to pay him minimum salary while also instilling a legitimate hedge against Penix Jr.; a holdover from the prior general manager.
No deal can be finalized until Tagovailoa is officially released — that won’t happen until Wednesday at the earliest. But it sounds like when the Dolphins formally cut him loose, Tagovailoa will be headed one state north for 2026.
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