Lefty quarterbacks are an extreme rarity in the NFL, but not in Atlanta: The Falcons are signing Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year, $1.3 million deal according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Tagovailoa will join fellow lefty Michael Penix Jr. as new coach Kevin Stefanski’s quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa didn’t have to wait long to find his new home. The Dolphins had long been expected to release Tagovailoa — the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — and officially did so Monday morning. Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year, $212.4 million deal in 2024, is costing Miami a record $99 million in dead cap over the next two seasons. He is also due $54 million guaranteed for 2026 from Miami, making it possible for the Falcons to sign him on such a cheap deal.
A similar situation played out in 2024, when the Broncos parted ways with Russell Wilson. He then played on a league-minimum deal for the Steelers while receiving $39 million from Denver.
For more 2026 NFL free agency coverage
Tagovailoa, who just turned 28, was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 draft after starring at Alabama. After a slow start to his career, he began to thrive under Mike McDaniel; Tagovailoa led the NFL in yards per attempt and touchdown rate in 2022, led the NFL in passing yards (and made the Pro Bowl) in 2023 and led the NFL in completion percentage in 2024.
However, he suffered several concussions along the way, and while the good moments were very good, the rough moments were very rough in McDaniels’ motion-heavy, timing-based offense. McDaniel benched Tagovailoa in December, and the writing was on the wall.
Atlanta will hope Stefanski can help revive Tagovailoa’s career in a low-risk, potentially high-reward move. Penix is coming off a season-ending ACL tear and has made just 12 starts in two seasons — with mixed results at best — since being selected eighth overall in 2024. The Falcons have gone 8-9 each of the past two seasons.
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