The Miami Dolphins made several big changes this offseason, and one of the most impactful came at quarterback, as Miami's new regime moved on from Tua Tagovailoa and replaced him with Malik Willis as the team's starter.
Releasing Tagovailoa hamstrung the Dolphins this year, as they took a $55.4 million dead cap hit for 2026. However, for Miami's former first-round pick, this gave him the opportunity to join the Atlanta Falcons on an inexpensive one-year deal to compete for the starting job.
Now, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Falcons have named Tagovailoa their starter for Week 1, as Michael Penix Jr. works his way back from his knee injury.
In two preseason games this year, Tagovailoa completed 76.9% of his passes for 117 yards without
a touchdown or interception.
If he can prove himself to be a capable starter this season with Atlanta, Tagovailoa could earn himself another starting job in 2027, with the Falcons or elsewhere, continuing what some thought was a career that was near the end.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Tua Tagovailoa named Falcons starting QB
