The Miami Dolphins will always be linked to former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After selecting him with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Miami built their franchise around the Alabama quarterback.
While Tagovailoa’s tenure with the Dolphins had its ups and downs, following the 2025 season, Miami decided it was time to move on. That decision was made despite the quarterback still having over $54 million guaranteed during the 2026 season, and his release resulted in Miami having over $99 million in dead cap over the next two seasons.
Following his release, Tagovailoa signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, where he has recently received some exciting news.
Atlanta Falcons Announce Decision on Former Miami Dolphins Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, who is currently in a quarterback competition with Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta, has recently been announced by Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski as the team’s starter for their first preseason game.
Stefanski said, “We’re just now entering Week 1 of the preseason with this game on Friday night. Obviously, Tua is going to play in that game, and I think that’s great to get game action with our guys. Specifically to the quarterback position for Penix and Tua, this was learning a new system for our guys. So laying the foundation of the new system, understanding that when you get to training camp, now it’s about really building through your installs, finding out what your players do best.”
While Tagovailoa has not been officially announced as the Falcons starter for the regular season, that currently appears to be the expectation. NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee show, “My general feel is that Tua will be the Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons. Penix has not been cleared yet.”
With Penix Jr. still not being cleared for action and Tagovailoa starting the team’s first preseason game, the signs seem to point to the former Dolphins quarterback starting Week 1 for Atlanta.
Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks
After six seasons with Tagovailoa, Miami moved on. In his place, the Miami Dolphins signed dual-threat quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year, $67 million contract in free agency.
Regarding Willis’ progress, the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly appeared encouraged, as he wrote: “The positive about what we have seen so far in the first three weeks is that Willis has plenty to work with ability wise. The arm is phenomenal, and the scrambling ability is legit. He also throws the ball accurately on the run. Right now, the concern should be about the talent that surrounds him on offense. Willis, whom coach Jeff Hafley said will likely play in Friday’s preseason game, along with other starters, has stepped up as a leader, which has been an encouraging thing for the coaches to see.”
Ability wise, Willis appears to be the polar opposite of Tagovailoa. Even at his best, Tagovailoa was limited as a runner and struggled to make deep throws to the boundary; however, he thrived with accurate passes based on timing in a rhythm-based offense.
Whether Willis is able to have more success than Tagovailoa did in Miami in 2025 remains to be seen. However, it appears that Dolphins fans will also be tuned in to see their former quarterback in Week 1 of the NFL season.
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