Reports didn't take long to come out that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could be bound for the Atlanta Falcons soon after his release from the Miami Dolphins. Likewise, it didn't take long for Miami to land Tua's replacement, agreeing to a deal with former Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis to be the team's next franchise quarterback.
The Tua news was inevitable. But now, assuming the rumors that he'll link up in Atlanta are true, he'll have a familiar face to welcome him. Shortly after the legal tampering period got underway on Monday, former Dolphins punter Jake Bailey reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $9 million to join the Falcons.
Although it's far from the worst news Dolphins fans could hear, it does bring about some disappointment, as Miami will now have to look for a new punter.
Former Miami Dolphins punter Jake Bailey agrees to 3-year deal with Falcons
Most Dolphins fans were not excited about Bailey when he joined the team in 2023. After initially earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2020, when he averaged 48.7 yards per punt with the Patriots, Bailey had a significant drop-off in his last two seasons with New England, including a career-low 42.1 yards per attempt in 2022.
However, Bailey had a resurgence in his tenure with the Dolphins. First, in 2023, he boosted his average from the previous year by more than 3.5 yards to 45.7 on average. From there, he improved his yards-per-attempt average and net average in each season. In his final year with the Dolphins, Bailey averaged 47.7 and 42.6 in each category, respectively. Only in his career year in 2020 did he beat both of those marks.
Dolphins fans and more than likely several in the organization wanted to see Bailey return kicking punts in 2026. However, at $3 million annually in his new expected deal with the Falcons, it's understandable that the Dolphins' brass would not come close to matching that.
Although Miami agreed to pay its new franchise QB $22.5 million per year, the Dolphins were never expected to be big spenders in this free agency period. In fact, given the number of players general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has cut in recent weeks, the opposite holds for the time being.
Now, Bailey joins kicker Nick Folk in Atlanta to hold down special teams, with Tua potentially lingering as the QB replacement. Meanwhile, the Dolphins look to fill both kicking specialist positions with Bailey gone and Jason Sanders' release over the weekend. Miami could look to re-sign kicker Riley Patterson after his breakout season, but nothing is set in stone there. As for punter, I'd expect Miami to bring in a veteran on a one- or two-year deal worth roughly half of the AAV that Bailey will receive in Atlanta.