Is Tua Tagovailoa a bad fit for new Falcons offense?

The Miami Dolphins confirmed on Monday that they will release former starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa once the new league year gets underway at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. 

Shortly after, a report revealed that he plans to sign a one-year deal with an Atlanta Falcons team that currently doesn't have a healthy QB1 atop the depth chart. 

Tagovailoa could be viewed as the favorite to emerge as Atlanta's 2026 Week 1 starter. However, ESPN's Bill Barnwell suggested in a piece published on Tuesday that Tagovailoa may not be the best fit for the offense run by recently hired Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Tua Tagovailoa may have to learn more than just a new playbook with Falcons 

"At its best, Stefanski's offense [when he was head coach of the Cleveland Browns] was an under-center, play-action-heavy attack, with the quarterback turning his back to the defense before hitting shots for chunk plays," Barnwell wrote. "Tagovailoa was in an entirely different offense with the Dolphins, with about 89% of his dropbacks over the past four years coming out of the pistol or shotgun. He was asked to make quick, accurate passes and create [yards after catch] opportunities for his receivers, and at his best, he was able to put plenty of points up on the scoreboard."

The StatMuse website shows that Tagovailoa committed the third-most turnovers (16) in the NFL from Week 1 through Week 18 of the 2025 campaign. Thus, having to play "in an entirely different offense" could prove to be either a blessing or a curse for the 2020 first-round draft pick who is looking to resurrect his career after he was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers late this past season.

Why Tua Tagovailoa likely picked Falcons over other teams

As for the other main member of Atlanta's quarterback room, 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from the surgery he needed this past fall to repair a partially torn ACL. It's unknown when he will be cleared to play against a live defense later this year. 

"Tagovailoa's clearest path to playing with solid help around him was in Atlanta," Barnwell added. 

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly prepared to keep Jacoby Brissett their starter through at least the offseason. The Minnesota Vikings will allegedly soon sign former Cardinals starter Kyler Murray. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, the Pittsburgh Steelers "were not interested in" taking a flier on Tagovailoa.

Thus, Tagovailoa seemingly picked what may have been the only team willing to let him compete for a starting job this coming summer.