The NFL landscape was shaken up recently when the Miami Dolphins released quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the tune of $99.2 million in dead money. Two days later, the Atlanta Falcons picked him up, as they’re also setting off in a new direction under head coach Kevin Stefanski.
It remains to be seen whether one man’s trash is another man’s treasure in this scenario, but Tagovailoa will certainly not lack motivation to prove the Dolphins wrong.
Dan Orlovsky Is High on Tua Tagovailoa Starting After Falcons Pick Him Up
Many might not expect much from the Falcons in 2026; they hired a losing head coach and currently sit with two quarterbacks who failed in 2025. The roster has some potential, but overall, hopes aren’t high for a team that’s predicted to experiment at quarterback this upcoming season.
However, Orlovsky believes the starting quarterback position is a lock going into next season, with Tagovailoa at the helm of the Stefanski era in Georgia.
“I fully expect Tua to be the starting quarterback, Week 1, because of the reality of Michael Penix’s health,” he said on “Get Up.” “‘Tua, you get half a season.’ Reality, both get half a year. Michael Penix and Tua, you got half a year to prove to us that you guys can still play.”
“Fully expect Tua [Tagovailoa] to be the starting quarterback Week 1 because of the reality of Michael Penix’s health.”
—@danorlovsky7 on the QB situation in Atlanta 👀 pic.twitter.com/T6kNFHea3c
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 17, 2026
At 28, Tagovailoa is at the beginning of his prime years in the NFL. He has already proven he can play at a high level; now it comes down to whether Stefanski can build a solid system around him.
Fortunately, they already have running back superstar Bijan Robinson (86.5 PFSN RB Impact in 2025), wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts.
“From 2022 to 2024, Tua’s a top-10 quarterback,” Orlovsky noted. “And I know it was in a very specific system — Mike McDaniel — and it was custom, tailor-made for Tua. But he was a highly-performing quarterback in that situation.
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“He’s performed significantly greater than Michel Penix has up until this point in their career… ‘You get half a year. And if you prove to us that you can play, we’ll address it… or we’re moving on to the 2027 NFL Draft.”
If the front office truly plans to use the 2027 draft as a backup, Tagovailoa and Penix are staring down the barrel of a loaded draft class. Next year’s quarterback class is expected to be one of the best in recent memory, with Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, and others all set to feature.
