The Miami Dolphins, amid their major shift in organizational personnel, made the big decision to cut Tua Tagovailoa this offseason.
But, on the same day Tagovailoa was released, not only did the Dolphins land Malik Willis as his replacement, but Tagovailoa landed with the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year deal.
That Day 1 of free agency for Tagovailoa, getting cut by the Dolphins, and signing with the Falcons, had ESPN's Bill Barnwell label him as a "winner" of free agency already. But why? Well, his landing spot has a big reason to do with this label.
Why Tua Tagovailoa is 'winner' of FA after Dolphins cut
"... but Tagovailoa's clearest path to playing with solid help around him was in Atlanta," Barnwell writes. "That's a victory on a day otherwise felt ominous for the 28-year-old quarterback."
While getting cut by the team that drafted him and gave him a $212 million extension isn't the best day for a player, Tagovailoa is making the most of it.
Not only is he still slated to earn $54 million in 2026 and another $40+ million in 2027, but he's also going to a landing spot that might give him a decent chance to win back some trust in the NFL.
Tagovailoa is joining a Falcons offense with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London. He also gets to play under Kevin Stefanski, who's had success with mediocre QBs in his career, which should bode well for Tagovailoa.
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While Tagovailoa might've struggled in 2025 with the Dolphins, leading to his release, he should be better than that. Playing with this Falcons offense should help him turn his career around.
Due to Michael Penix Jr. dealing with a torn ACL, the Falcons quarterback job is Tagovailoa's to lose at this point.
With a path to a starting job, in a well-coached offense with some great weapons, combined with making plenty of money, there's not much better a landing spot for Tagovailoa this offseason than his actual destination in Atlanta.
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