The Miami Dolphins were Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL home.
He made a lot of great memories with the Dolphins. In those years when the lefty QB was at his best, he was throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to great effect. Mike McDaniel was dialing up fun plays, and the Dolphins were tough to stop.
The end days of Tagovailoa’s time in Miami weren’t as fun, though. As he and his wideouts dealt with injuries, everything came crashing down to earth.
It all came to a head after the 2025 season, when this partnership no longer continued.
What Happened to Tua Tagovailoa?
After the 2025 season, the Dolphins chose to cut ties with Tagovailoa.
It wasn’t a cheap release. They had to take on nearly $100 million in dead cap hit for leaving Tagovailoa’s contract early.
Despite that, it was a move Miami felt it had to make. It didn’t want to see out the remainder of Tagovailoa’s deal.
The Dolphins were getting rid of McDaniel and looking for a way to start anew, and so they set Tagovailoa loose.
What Team Does Tua Tagovailoa Play For Now?
Tagovailoa eventually signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Because the Dolphins are still paying Tagovailoa a lot of money, he came cheap for the Falcons, which increased his appeal as a signing.
Atlanta also had a particularly special desire for Tua thanks to the fact that he’s left-handed.
Their third-year QB Michael Penix Jr. is also a southpaw, and so they don’t have to worry quite as much if an injury forces Penix to miss time — they won’t have to mirror or reverse plays. They can simply run them with the same left-handed design as what they’ve set up for Penix.
Tagovailoa, at the time of his signing, seemed like he’d have a chance to compete for the starting job.
Why Isn’t Tua Tagovailoa Starting QB?
Tagovailoa did temporarily win the starting job at the end of the preseason.
Penix wasn’t fully recovered from his knee surgery, and so Tua got the nod for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But in the Thursday practice three days before that game, Tagovailoa was hurt on a throw, went to the ground, and was later determined to have sustained an oblique injury. It kept him out that week and the following week as Cooper Rush started.
Penix was back by Week 3, and so was Tagovailoa, but it was Penix who got the nod and has played well two weeks in a row.
At this point, the veteran Tagovailoa won’t be taking the gig from the third-year Penix unless there’s an injury, it seems.
What Happened to Tua Tagovailoa? Where Dolphins’ Former Star QB is Now in NFL