The Atlanta Falcons made a bold, yet necessary move this offseason when they signed Tua Tagovailoa. The quarterback now has a chance to completely redeem himself after a disappointing couple of years with his former team.
Things went so badly for Tagovailoa over the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins that they were willing to eat $99.2 million in dead money against the salary cap to get rid of him.
Luckily, the Falcons only had to pay him a measly $1.2 million so he can compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job. Due to his experience and Penix’s injury, Tagovailoa is already the projected starter.
Should he indeed win the starting job, he very well could be in line for one of the NFL’s top awards in 2026.
Tua Tagovailoa Named Dark Horse Award Candidate
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay recently listed Tagovailoa as a contender for the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year award for the 2026 season, albeit as a dark horse.
Tagovailoa is a true dark horse. His current odds are +4500 to win the award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Sixteen other players have better odds, with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leading the way at +200.
“Tagovailoa’s 45-1 odds for Comeback Player of the Year are simply too alluring to ignore,” Kay wrote.
Oddly enough, Penix has the same odds at +4500. Perhaps that’s due to the playmakers surrounding them.
“If Tagovailoa seizes the QB1 role, he’ll have the elite supporting cast—led by first-round skill-position stars in Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson—needed to re-emerge as one of the NFL’s top passers,” Kay wrote.
The Falcons have seemingly had the talent surrounding their quarterback the last couple of years. It’s the quarterback that’s been the problem. Perhaps Tagovailoa can resolve that.
Tua Tagovailoa Will Have Stiff Competition For Comeback Award
Tagovailoa definitely has the skill set to become the league’s Comeback Player of the Year. The former first-round, fifth-overall pick is just three years removed from his Pro Bowl season, when he led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) while throwing for 29 touchdowns. That year, he helped lead the Dolphins to an 11-6 campaign.
The Falcons would love nothing more than a similar type of season. The team hasn’t posted a 10-win season since 2017, which is also the last time it made the playoffs.
If Tagovailoa can not only put up individual stats but also help the Falcons take over the NFC South — something they haven’t done since 2016 — and end the painstaking postseason drought, the odds could very well be in his favor to win the award.
Mahomes and Murray will be stiff competition, though.
Mahomes is still the face of the league, and if he leads the Chiefs back to the playoffs after a one-year absence, he’ll be a shoo-in.
Murray, on the other hand, is the poster child for this award considering the bad luck he had with the Arizona Cardinals over the last several years. Similar to Tagovailoa, if he proves to be the answer at quarterback the Minnesota Vikings have been looking for all this time, it won’t be difficult for voters to cast their vote his way.
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