Since coming into the NFL in 2020, Tua Tagovailoa has only known the Miami Dolphins. However, as the 28-year-old prepares for the 2026 season, he will have to adapt to a new environment with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Dolphins’ decision to cut ties with Tagovailoa led to the team absorbing a staggering $99.2 million in dead cap. Nonetheless, Miami was ready to hit the reset button and start from scratch under a new regime led by Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Tagovailoa has a passer rating of 96.4 with 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns, and 59 interceptions in 78 games for the Dolphins in his career, per StatMuse. Nonetheless, now the former first-round pick looks to adjust to a new situation as he looks to get his career back on track.
On May 27, Tagovailoa spoke about adjusting to life, going from the Dolphins to the Falcons.
“I think the first thing is being able to get the foundation down with the players, getting to know everyone in that sense,” Tagovailoa said. “Outside of that, it’s being able to hone in on the playbook.
“Being able to know why we’re running things, know why we’re calling a certain play and why we want to run it. So I think getting my bearings in that sense has been the adjustment so far coming into this organization.”
Former Dolphins QB Looks to Benefit From Fresh Start
Moreover, the former Dolphins starter explained why he will benefit from this fresh start in Atlanta after Miami cut ties with him.
“I think a fresh start sometimes is not just beneficial for me, but for anyone,” Tagovailoa added. “Your outlook on life is dependent on your thoughts, depending on things that you think of, which go to your heart, which then you end up speaking about. I just think a fresh start is not bad in terms of wanting a change of scenery.
“Allowing my children to experience something different than what I experienced. I think South Florida is the same as Hawaii in a way where it’s basically hot and warm year-round. So my kids are able to expand on that, get some cold out here a little bit, feel Christmas, things like that.”
Should the Falcons Want Tua Tagovailoa to Win QB Battle?
Tagovailoa will look to prove he’s still a starting QB in this league, but standing in his way is Michael Penix Jr. as the two battle it out in the competition.
Nonetheless, the former Dolphins starting QB received a strong take from ex-NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer, who stated the outcome Atlanta should want in this competition.
“With Kevin Stefanski coming in, you’re going to be running a very similar offense that both guys are used to, a West Coast scheme,” Hoyer said in a May 26 video from SiriusXM NFL Radio. “It shouldn’t take much for them to get up to speed when it comes to operating that system. It’s just a matter of who’s going to take the reins.
“And I think it’s similar here to Minnesota. If you’re the Falcons, you want Michael Penix Jr. to win this job. You drafted him in the first round. Obviously, it’s a new regime, so it’s their first look at him and their first time working with him.”
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