The Miami Dolphins find themselves at a crossroads with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa - and the road ahead is anything but straightforward. With a new regime in place and no long-term commitment to their former first-round pick, the franchise appears open to moving on from Tua this offseason. But doing so won’t be easy, and it certainly won’t be cheap.
Let’s be clear: cutting Tua outright would be a cap catastrophe for a team already staring down a financial crunch. Trading him? That’s a more viable path - but only if Miami can find a partner willing to take on a quarterback whose stock has dipped, and only if the Dolphins are willing to absorb a chunk of his salary to make the deal work.
Enter the Atlanta Falcons - a team that, on paper, might just be the right fit for a player like Tua, especially if they’re still unsure about their current quarterback situation.
Atlanta’s quarterback room is in flux. Michael Penix Jr., their 2024 first-round pick, is still recovering from his third ACL injury.
His long-term durability is a real question mark, and his performance when healthy has been inconsistent at best. Meanwhile, veteran Kirk Cousins remains on the roster - for now - but his future in Atlanta is murky, and a release is likely on the horizon.
That opens the door for someone like Tua to come in and compete. And while he’s not without his own concerns - namely, a history of concussions and questions about his ceiling - he’s still a quarterback who led the NFL in passing yards just two seasons ago. That kind of upside doesn’t come around often, especially in February.
From a stylistic standpoint, Tua makes sense in Atlanta. New head coach Kevin Stefanski runs a West Coast-style offense that leans heavily on timing, rhythm, and play-action - not unlike the system Tua operated under in Miami with Mike McDaniel. That familiarity could help ease the transition and give Tua a chance to find his footing quickly in a new environment.
And don’t overlook the dome factor. Playing indoors in Atlanta could help mitigate some of Tua’s limitations as a deep passer.
He’s accurate and quick with his reads, but he doesn’t have the cannon arm that some of the league’s top-tier quarterbacks possess. A controlled environment could play to his strengths and keep the offense on schedule.
There’s also something to be said for the division he’d be entering. The NFC South didn’t produce a single team with a winning record in 2025.
It’s wide open - and that means opportunity. If Penix isn’t ready by Week 1, or if the Falcons decide to ease him in, Tua could step in as the starter and potentially run away with the job.
He’s more experienced, more polished, and - at least for now - more reliable.
The left-handed connection is another subtle but important detail. Penix and Tua both throw with their left arm, which means less disruption for the Falcons’ pass-catchers if there’s a transition between the two. That continuity might not be the deciding factor, but it’s a nice bonus when building chemistry in a new offense.
Of course, none of this happens unless Miami is willing to eat a good portion of Tua’s salary in a trade. That’s the sticking point. But if they’re serious about moving on and resetting their quarterback situation, paying part of the bill might be the cost of doing business.
For Atlanta, this would be a calculated swing - not a desperate one. Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year, isn’t under pressure to win immediately.
He’s here to build something sustainable, and that means taking smart, strategic chances. Bringing in Tua as a potential bridge, or even as a long-term answer if things break right, fits that mold.
The Falcons aren’t going to find many quarterbacks this offseason with Tua’s combination of experience, production, and potential upside. Yes, the concussions are a concern.
Yes, he may never be the player he was during his peak stretch in Miami. But in a quarterback market that’s light on proven options, Tua might just be the best bet available.
And for a team looking to stabilize a chaotic QB room, that’s more than enough reason to pick up the phone.