That old saying, "If you can't beat them, join them," takes on a completely different angle in the NFL. IFf you can't beat them, sign them. That might just be the case for Tua Tagovailoa after his Monday morning release by the Miami Dolphins.
The fallout from the release hasn't even had time to dry, but already there are calls for the quarterback, sort of. The league's tampering period officially begins at noon on March 9th. There is a strong suspicion that one NFL team is going to go hard after the now-former Dolphins QB.
The Falcons are making a strong push to sign former Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and a deal could come together soon, sources tell The Insiders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2026
No deal can be finalized until Tua is officially released Wednesday. But signs point to Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/zDAhPnQkSz
Tua Tagovailoa's Miami Dolphins release catapults him near the top of the free agent QB list
As the NFL entered the final weekend of the 2025 business season, Tagovailoa was the quarterback that no one was going to want. Miami couldn't trade him; they didn't want to keep him, and the common perception among NFL insiders was that interest in him around the league would be lukewarm.
If the sudden interest is any indication, Tagovailoa may have several teams looking his way. The Falcons make a lot of sense, however.
Atlanta is releasing Kirk Cousins on Wednesday. They have no reliable backups on the roster for Michael Penis, and Arthur Bland sat in his owner's box and watched Tagovailoa torch his team last year to the tune of four touchdowns.
That game was the last great game for Tagovailoa as a member of the Dolphins, so returning to the dome stadium should be something that he is interested in. "Indoor-Tua" has always been better than "outdoor-Tua."
Miami won't get anything in return, but that's fine at this point. If the Falcons are indeed the team most active in trying to get him on their roster, it makes you wonder how close they may have been to swinging a trade with the Dolphins.
Tagovailoa, if he lands with the Falcons, will get a chance to compete against Penix, but even if he ultimately rides shotgun, Penix's injury and health issues will likely pave the way for playing time.
What Tagovaioa needs is a fresh start and a new opportunity. He is going to get that; the question remaining is where.