Tua Tagovailoa Headed to Atlanta After Miami Release

Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will join the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year contract after being released. The move will cost Miami nearly $100 million in dead money, marking the end of a disappointing tenure for the 2020 fifth overall pick.

Multiple sources confirm that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will ink a one-year agreement with the Atlanta Falcons following his expected release from the Miami Dolphins when the new NFL league year opens Wednesday.

Atlanta plans to part ways with veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins before the new season begins, creating a quarterback room featuring two southpaw passers alongside Michael Penix Jr. With Penix still working back from a knee injury, the Week 1 starting role remains uncertain.

Penix, who was selected eighth overall in the 2024 draft and is now in his third campaign, tore his left ACL during Week 11 action. However, he has expressed confidence to media members that he’ll be cleared for the season kickoff.

After Penix’s injury, Cousins stepped in and led the Falcons to four consecutive victories, finishing 8-9 overall. Despite the late surge, Atlanta extended their playoff drought to eight years.

When Tagovailoa’s contract becomes finalized, he’ll be playing for a franchise with fresh leadership. Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan now serves as president of football operations, overseeing both the head coach and general manager positions filled by Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham respectively. The organization dismissed previous head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot following the 2025 campaign.

Miami’s decision to release Tagovailoa creates an unprecedented $99.2 million dead money hit against their salary cap. The move includes a post-June 1 designation for accounting benefits, allowing the dead money to be divided across two seasons. The Dolphins will absorb a $67.4 million cap penalty in 2026, with the remaining $31.8 million carrying over to 2027.

Miami selected Tagovailoa fifth overall in 2020, envisioning him as their franchise quarterback solution. He was the draft’s second quarterback chosen after Cincinnati’s selection of Joe Burrow at number one, and came off the board before Justin Herbert, who went to Los Angeles at sixth overall.

Tagovailoa earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2023 after guiding Miami to an 11-6 season and leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards.

That campaign represented the sole season where he appeared in every contest, as his career has been marred by numerous concussions and additional injuries, including hip problems.

Despite these concerns, Miami committed to Tagovailoa with a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024 that was scheduled to run through 2028.

His standing deteriorated during the previous season, with former head coach Mike McDaniel benching him for rookie Quinn Ewers in the final three games. Over his first 14 appearances, Tagovailoa posted a 6-8 record while throwing a career-worst 15 interceptions compared to 20 touchdown passes.