ATLANTA — Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa announced Tuesday that his new one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons represents a chance to rebuild his career following a turbulent end to his six seasons in Miami.
Atlanta’s general manager Ian Cunningham revealed on March 13 that Tagovailoa will compete for the quarterback position alongside Michael Penix Jr., once Penix returns from an ACL injury sustained in November.
While acknowledging that quarterback competition is standard in professional football, Tagovailoa admitted he must improve significantly from his 2025 performance, which included a career-worst 15 interceptions and resulted in him being benched for the season’s final three games.
“If you’re looking at last year, my play wasn’t up to the standard of the way I’ve been playing football the past, what, three years since the new contract,” Tagovailoa reflected on his four-year, $212 million extension signed with Miami in 2024. “So just got to play better football. That’s what that really means. There’s no other way to sugarcoat that or go around that.”
Miami will still pay Tagovailoa $54 million in guaranteed money for 2026, while his Atlanta contract is worth just $1.3 million — the veteran minimum salary. The Falcons deal came after Miami decided to release the quarterback despite absorbing a record-breaking $99 million dead cap penalty.
Should Penix remain sidelined with his knee injury, Tagovailoa could begin the season as Atlanta’s starting quarterback. This scenario would give him a platform to demonstrate he can return to his 2023 and 2024 performance levels, when he led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) and completion percentage (72.9%) respectively.
“Last year wasn’t the best year for me,” he acknowledged. “And, you know, I’m looking for a fresh start, but fresh start in the sense of being able to compete, being able go back out there and playing football, good football, and I think the best football is still ahead of me.”
The 28-year-old quarterback said it’s premature to consider his long-term plans beyond the 2026 season or whether he’ll seek another opportunity in free agency.
“It’s hard to look that far in front,” he explained. “I think the best thing right now is making the best of this opportunity that I have with the team on my one year and make the best out of that in terms of the relationships I make with these guys.”
Tagovailoa emphasized his gratitude for the opportunity to continue playing professional football. “This is what I’ve dreamed of my entire life, you know, so regardless of what that looks like. I’m gonna be present, I’m going to be in the moment,” he said.
The Alabama product, selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, compiled a 44-32 record as Miami’s starting quarterback. Despite suffering his fourth documented concussion early in the 2024 season, he reported that his medical evaluation with Atlanta went well.
“Everything came out good” from his physical examination with the Falcons, he noted. “Some things are looking way better than, you know, the guys might have thought.” He added that concerns about future injuries don’t weigh on his mind.
“You either love it or you don’t,” Tagovailoa said regarding the injury risks inherent in football. “That’s what I would say. You either the love the game or you don’t, and you know the challenges that are ahead in terms of playing the sport with injuries.”
