Falcons eye Tua Tagovailoa after Dolphins cut QB, sources say

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Atlanta Falcons are expected to pursue Tua Tagovailoa in free agency, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, after the quarterback was informed Monday that he will be released by the Miami Dolphins.

The Falcons enter the offseason in the market for a quarterback, with Michael Penix Jr. recovering from a knee injury and Kirk Cousins set to be released before the start of the new league year Wednesday.

Atlanta’s answer at the position could be Tagovailoa, who will cost the Dolphins an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead money against the salary cap. A source told Schefter that Tagovailoa’s release will be designated post-June 1, allowing the Dolphins to split the dead money over two years.

“As we move forward, we will be focused on infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner,” Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said in the team’s statement.

The post-June 1 designation will leave the Dolphins with a $67.4 million dead hit against the salary cap in 2026, followed by $31.8 million in 2027. The move ends Tagovailoa’s six seasons in Miami only one year into the franchise-record extension he signed in 2024.

“I recently informed Tua and his representation that we are going to move in a new direction at the quarterback position and will be releasing him after the start of the new league year,” Sullivan said.

“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons.”

Penix, who was the Falcons’ starter last season, went down with a torn left ACL in Week 11. His return date is unclear, though Penix has told reporters that he believes he will be ready for Week 1.

After Penix’s injury, the Falcons turned to Cousins, who led Atlanta to four straight wins to close out the season and salvage an 8-9 record.

Atlanta drafted Penix at No. 8 in 2024, just weeks after signing Cousins to a contract with $100 million guaranteed. Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 start in 2024 before an arm injury derailed his season. Cousins was benched after a five-game stretch with nine interceptions, and Penix was given the starting role moving forward.

The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot after the season. They hired former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham to fill those respective roles. The Falcons also brought in former quarterback Matt Ryan as the president of football — a new position — to oversee the head coach and GM.

The Dolphins owe Tagovailoa $54 million in guaranteed money in 2026, minus any salary he makes from another team. His total dead cap hit tops the previous record of $85 million that the Denver Broncos absorbed by releasing Russell Wilson in 2024.

Tagovailoa posted a farewell message to the Dolphins and their fans on social media later Monday morning, saying that “wearing this jersey and representing this city has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”

“As I prepare for the next chapter, I move forward with gratitude, faith, and memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime,” he said. “South Florida will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Tagovailoa’s release was the latest move in a massive offseason housecleaning for the Dolphins under Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley.

The Dolphins, who went 7-10 in 2025 to miss the playoffs for the second straight season, already released star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, veteran pass rusher Bradley Chubb, offensive lineman James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine last month. Miami also traded defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets on Monday, sources told ESPN.

Tagovailoa’s future in Miami was under public scrutiny for months after he was benched for the final three games of the 2025 season. Sullivan said at the NFL scouting combine that “everything is on the table” with the former first-round draft pick, including a trade.

A trade never materialized, however, leading to Tagovailoa’s release. His departure leaves the Dolphins with Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round pick in 2025, as the most experienced returning quarterback on the roster.

Sullivan said the Dolphins will likely pick a quarterback in this year’s draft and possibly add another in free agency — although he doesn’t expect to be “big spenders” as the team rebuilds its roster.

The Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa with the fifth overall selection in 2020 after a prolific career at Alabama. He became their full-time starting quarterback in 2021, throwing for 2,653 yards and 16 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Tagovailoa broke out in 2022, his first with coach Mike McDaniel, throwing for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns while driving a Dolphins attack that finished sixth in total offense. However, he missed four games after suffering two documented concussions, and a third hit to the head that led the NFL to alter its reporting process for concussions.

Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 with 4,624 and set a career high with 29 touchdown passes; he played all 18 of Miami’s games, including an AFC wild-card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That offseason, he signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins that made him the highest-paid player in franchise history.

Tagovailoa led the league in completion percentage in 2024 but missed a career-high six games with a concussion and a late-season hip injury. His play was inconsistent throughout the season, and that trend continued into 2025, when he was ultimately benched for the final three games after throwing a career-high 15 interceptions.

ESPN’s Marc Raimondi contributed to this report.