Falcons Sign Tagovailoa Just Hours After He Was Released By Dolphins With $99M Dead Cap Hit

The Atlanta Falcons plan to sign quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 

Tagovailoa was released by the Miami Dolphins just hours before the start of the legal tampering period. The Falcons signed him later in the day to a one-year contract. 

The Dolphins had to absorb $99 million in dead cap over the next two seasons to release Tagovailoa. This is the largest dead cap hit in NFL history. 

The Falcons released their veteran QB Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason. Cousins had 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games. The Falcons went on a four-game winning streak with Cousins to end the season. They had restructured his contract, but even with the restructure, it was still financially beneficial to release him. 

Next on the depth chart could have been Michael Penix Jr. Penix Jr. has a 4-8 record in the NFL since being drafted in 2024. 

Instead, the Falcons will entrust Tagovailoa with the starting QB duties. Tagovailoa threw 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2025 – the 15 interceptions were a career high for him. 

A major problem with Tagovailoa’s career has been injury issues. Tagovailoa has only played every game in one season. This season was in 2023, when he led the league with 4,624 passing yards. A big reason for that was thanks to Tyreek Hill, who led the league with 1,799 receiving yards. Hill was released by the Dolphins earlier this offseason.

The Falcons’ new offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, has a very QB-friendly system. Rees is big on establishing the run and creating simple looks for QBs. Along with this, he also likes to use two tight ends to maximize protection. This could help keep Tagovailoa healthy. 

Tagovailoa and the Falcons will officially sign the contract on March 11, the beginning of the new league year.