After getting released by the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa is expected to sign a one-year, measly $1.3 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons soon. It’s the minimum amount he can be paid by a team, which is expected since he’s coming off a few horrific seasons. And that’s why many analysts, including Cam Newton, believe it’s a bad signing because he’s another injury-prone lefty QB, similar to someone the Falcons already have on the roster in Michael Penix Jr.
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There’s no denying that Tua was terrible last year. He threw 15 interceptions, had 6.2 yards per attempted pass, and led the Dolphins to a 6-8 record. It got so bad that he was benched for seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers by the end of the season. Then the Dolphins decided to take on a record $99 million in dead cap to get rid of him when the new league year began.
At this point, analysts like Newton think Tua’s early career magic has worn off. That, mixed with his injuries and concussion issues, had Newton questioning why Matt Ryan and the Falcons would even consider pursuing the QB.
“Tua has a lot of question marks than exclamation points… “What are we doing? Matty Ice! Brother! You already got Michael Penix hurt!” Newton said on his podcast, 4th and 1. “And for my next act, I’m going to go get somebody that’s hurt, errr. Like, Tua? C’mon now.”
Ryan took over as president of football operations for the Falcons in January. He’s responsible for hiring coaches, setting the “team vision,” and overseeing front office operations. Tua’s addition is something he definitely has a say in.
Still, while the decision to sign the lefty QB is a bit confounding, the team isn’t taking on much risk in doing so. They only have to pay Tua the minimum QB salary, and once Penix is healthy, he should retreat to the bench.
It’s also a win for Tua that his new team plays in a dome. That means that at least eight games next year will be played in controlled conditions. If you didn’t know, he’s 0-7 in games where it’s 46 degrees or colder. That record drops to 0-5 when it’s 40 degrees or below.
Furthermore, Tua is 5-2 in his career against the NFC South with over a 100 QBR. He also led the NFL in completion percentage in 2024 at 72.9%, and led in passing yards the year before. This is to say that he’s not too far removed from being considered a franchise QB with a lot of potential. But Cam doesn’t agree.
“The only person that really like this [signing] is your quarterback. Michael Penix is probably the only person who likes this… Because he knows Tua is gonna do something that ain’t gonna keep him from a job.”
At the end of the day, despite rehabbing from his torn ACL, Penix should be ready to go by the start of 2026. So we shouldn’t see much of Tua in action. But he’s a decent backup to have in case the starter picks up another injury. With him being a lefty and having a similar playstyle, the team shouldn’t have to reorient their offense too much.
