Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ended his tenure with the Miami Dolphins after getting released. Tagovailoa’s time with his second team could come to a close with a trade.
That’s what Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox strongly suggested Saturday when he named every NFL team’s most sensible trade asset. Knox picked Tagovailoa for the Atlanta Falcons.
“If the Falcons believe that Penix is ready to be “the guy” and can put them back in the playoff hunt, then Tagovailoa might be the most expendable player on the roster who actually has any trade value—Cooper Rush, who started and performed poorly in Weeks 1 and 2, probably does not,” wrote Knox.
Tagovailoa entered the 2026 regular season as Atlanta’s starting quarterback. But the signal-caller suffered an oblique injury getting ready for the season opener. Cooper Rush started for the Falcons in each of the first two games instead.
Rush played poorly, but former first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr. returned for the Falcons last week. Tagovailoa now appears set to be Penix’s backup for the rest of the season.
Will the Falcons Trade QB Tua Tagovailoa?
On paper, it makes a lot of sense for the Falcons to try and trade Tagovailoa. But in reality, such a move is complicated.
First, Atlanta would have to find a team that would want the signal-caller. More than likely, it would have to be a club dealing with a quarterback injury.
In the first three weeks of the regular season, six teams besides the Falcons suffered injuries behind center. Amazingly, all of them were in the NFC, with one of them, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the NFC South.
The Falcons are not sending Tagovailoa to a division rival, so let’s rule that one out.
The other five teams who have dealt with a starting quarterback injury over the past month are the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and New York Giants. The first four teams, though, either already have their starters back or are expected to over the next couple weeks.
Of those teams, only the New York Giants won’t get their starter back, and they already acquired J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings.
There’s still time until the NFL trade deadline, which is November 10. Other teams before then will have injured quarterbacks. But there’s no obvious landing spot for Tagovailoa at the moment.
Additionally, to be interested in Tagovailoa, the team will probably also have to be a contender. Granted, contenders probably don’t love the proposition of starting Tagovailoa behind center. But Tagovailoa is playing this season on a 1-year deal.
Barring a team wanting to trade and then sign Tagovailoa to an extension, that makes the quarterback a rental player at the trade deadline.
Remembering Tagovailoa With the Dolphins
Teams interested in trading for Tagovailoa may also have to believe he is capable of returning to his 2023 form.
Just three years ago, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards. He also had 29 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions while averaging 8.3 yards per attempt. In 2022, he led the NFL with 8.9 yards per pass.
But his downfield throwing really declined over the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Last season, Tagovailoa averaged 6.9 yards per pass. He also struggled with decision-making, throwing 20 touchdowns versus a career-high 15 interceptions.
Tagovailoa threw those 15 picks in just 14 starts.
In 2026 free agency, Tagovailoa signed for league minimum because the Dolphins are still paying him $54 million this season. In the short term, that’s perfectly great for the quarterback. But he has to get back on the field to prove he deserves some kind of contract in 2027.
With that the case, if he’s not going to play in Atlanta, Tagovailoa would certainly be open to a trade. The Falcons should be too if they find the quarterback expendable on their roster.
Ex-Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Might Have New Team Soon: Analyst