FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have officially signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
After a standout career at the University of Alabama that included a national championship win, Tagovailoa was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He started nine of the Dolphins' final 10 games during his rookie season and entered the 2021 season as the team's starter.
"Based off of what happened last year, I knew I needed to play better, but I think this is a great opportunity to be able to come here and get a good reset," Tagovailoa said to AtlantaFalcons.com. "I want to thank the Blank family. I want to thank Arthur (Blank). I want to thank Coach (Kevin) Stefanski. I want to thank the organization for allowing me this opportunity. I am excited."
In his third season, Tagovailoa took a step forward under new head coach Mike McDaniel. He led the league in passer rating (105.5), yards per attempt (8.9) and touchdown percentage (6.3), among other quarterback categories. In 2023, Tagovailoa started all 17 games and led the league with 4,624 passing yards, helping the Dolphins achieve an 11-6 record and a spot in the postseason. He was named to the Pro Bowl after the 2023 season. The following year, he led the NFL with a 72.9% completion rate.
Tagovailoa compiled a 44-32 record during six seasons as the Dolphins' starting quarterback.
Michael Penix Jr., who entered the 2025 season as the Falcons' starter, sustained a knee injury in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Ian Cunningham have repeatedly said that rehab "is what's most important right now" for Penix as he prepares to enter his third season.
With Penix working through rehab, for which no return timeline has been set, and the team releasing veteran Kirk Cousins at the start of the league year, adding to the quarterback room was a priority for the Falcons.
"We're not in the business of really handing out starting positions in February and in March the same, right? For Tua coming in here, he knows he's coming in to compete, just like Michael (Penix Jr.) knows that he's coming in to compete," Cunningham told Atlanta media members on Friday. "Everybody, quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position, but everybody's coming in to compete. There's no starters right now. We're excited to have Tua, but we're excited to have all the players that we were able to get this free agent class."
Tagovailoa said he is looking forward to getting to work and competing.
"If there's no competition, I don't think anyone's getting better, in aspect of the field of work you're in," Tagovailoa said. "I am excited to be able to compete against (Penix), to compete with him, to be able to get to know my teammates on a personal level, knowing them from the outside in. We have a lot of good football players on this team, so I'm excited to get to play with these guys and get the chance to throw the ball around, conversate with them. I think it's going to be great."
In Tagovailoa, the Falcons get a quarterback with 76 starts under his belt who has proven more than capable of leading an NFL offense.
The NFL's new league year began Wednesday at 4 p.m., meaning teams can now officially sign free agents and finalize trades. Visit our 2026 Free Agency Tracker to stay up to date on the Falcons in free agency.
