Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons agree to one-year deal
Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons agree to one-year deal
Jacob Camenker and Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY Mon, March 9, 2026 at 9:20 PM UTC
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Tua Tagovailoa landed on his feet quickly after being released by the Miami Dolphins.
Tagovailoa has agreed to a one-year contract to join the Atlanta Falcons in 2026 NFL free agency, according to reports. He is signing the veteran minimum which will be $1.3 million for 2026.
The deal cannot be finalized until Tagovailoa is released Wednesday.
The Falcons entered the 2026 NFL offseason in need of a veteran quarterback behind 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. after parting with Kirk Cousins. Tagovailoa will fill that need, and the 28-year-old left profiles as a good fit for Kevin Stefanski's offense.
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Tagovailoa is coming off his first losing season as an NFL starting quarterback. The 2020 first-round pick posted a 6-8 record across 14 starts while completing 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions – good for second-most in the league behind only Geno Smith (17).
The Dolphins benched Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers for the final three games of the 2025 NFL season, throwing his future with the team into question.
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Days before free agency, Miami officially announced it would be releasing Tagovailoa – and absorbing an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead-cap space to do so – at the start of the new league year.
The Falcons will be hoping Tagovailoa – who made the Pro Bowl in 2023 – can enjoy a bounce-back season with a change of scenery.
Falcons QB depth chart
It isn't yet clear whether Tagovailoa will battle Penix for the team's starting job or just serve as high-upside insurance in case the third-year pro needs extra time to return from a torn ACL he suffered midway through last season.
Here's how things will look when Tagovailoa officially signs on Wednesday:
Michael Penix Jr. (injured)
Tua Tagovailoa
Easton Stick – the third quarterback on the Falcons' roster in 2025 behind Penix Jr. and Cousins – is a free agent.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tua Tagovailoa signs: Falcons to sign QB to deal in NFL free agency
Source: “AOL Sports”
