The Atlanta Falcons announced on Mar. 13 that they have signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa, who previously played for the Miami Dolphins, brings significant experience to the Falcons as they look to strengthen their quarterback position. The move comes as Michael Penix Jr., last season’s starter, continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury with no set timeline for return, and after the team released veteran Kirk Cousins at the start of the league year.
“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.”
Tagovailoa was drafted fifth overall by Miami in 2020 after winning a national championship at Alabama. He started nine games in his rookie season and became the team’s starter in 2021. In his third season under coach Mike McDaniel, he led the league in passer rating, yards per attempt, and touchdown percentage. In 2023, he started all 17 games and led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while helping Miami reach an 11-6 record and earn a postseason spot. He was named to the Pro Bowl after that season and led the league with a 72.9% completion rate in 2024.
General manager Ian Cunningham addressed media about competition within the team: “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 echoed these sentiments: “If there’s no competition, I don’t think anyone’s getting better… 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… I think it’s going to be great.”
The Falcons are based in Atlanta, Georgia according to their official website. They began as an expansion team in 1965 according to their official website and currently compete in the National Football League’s NFC South division according to their official website. The franchise has advanced twice to the Super Bowl—in 1998 and again in 2016 according to their official website. Freddie the Falcon serves as their mascot according to their official website.
With free agency underway following Wednesday’s start of the new league year at 4 p.m., teams can now officially sign free agents and finalize trades.
