The Atlanta Falcons have found their replacement for Kirk Cousins, reportedly agreeing to terms with soon-to-be former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a one-year deal. The move gives Atlanta two left-handed quarterbacks entering the 2026 season, with Tagovailoa joining Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons reshape the position following an injury-plagued year.
Miami announced Monday that they will release Tagovailoa on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year, absorbing a record $99.2 million in dead money on its salary cap. Because the Dolphins will be responsible for the bulk of Tagovailoa’s remaining guaranteed money, the deal represents minimal financial risk for Atlanta. The release comes after Miami failed to find a trade partner willing to take on his contract, bringing an end to a tenure defined by explosive offensive moments, repeated head injuries, and no playoff victories.
Tagovailoa, 28, is less than two years removed from signing a massive extension in the summer of 2024 that made him one of the highest-paid players in league history. Drafted fifth overall in 2020 out of Alabama, he became Miami’s full-time starter in 2021 and enjoyed his most productive seasons under head coach Mike McDaniel. In 2022, he threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns while guiding a top-six offense, though concussions again interrupted his season. He followed that with a league-leading 4,624 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2023, playing every game and earning his lucrative extension.
Injuries and inconsistency defined the next two seasons. Tagovailoa missed six games in 2024 due to concussion and hip issues, then struggled in 2025 as Miami endured a disappointing first half before a late surge. His season bottomed out with a benching after a Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he finished the year having thrown a career-high 15 interceptions.
Atlanta entered the offseason in need of stability at quarterback. Penix, the team’s projected starter, tore his left ACL in Week 11 and remains on track to return by Week 1, while Cousins is set to be released after an uneven stint that followed a late-season arm injury. The Falcons ultimately turned to Tagovailoa as a low-risk, high-upside option, while Miami designates his release as post-June 1 to split the historic dead-money hit over two seasons.
