The Atlanta Falcons took an almighty swing in the 2024 offseason. Not only did they give Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract as he recovered from a torn Achilles, but they also drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of that draft class. Unfortunately, two years in, neither path seems viable for them.
With the latter slated to miss some of the 2026 season as it is, and the former on the verge of being released, one insider dropped a unique name as a potential replacement for the franchise.
A New Beginning for the Atlanta Falcons
As good as Bijan Robinson and Drake London have been over the last two seasons, the Falcons haven’t had a lot to celebrate. Missing the playoffs in back-to-back years, they ultimately chose to fire head coach Raheem Morris, replacing him with Kevin Stefanski.
The two-time coach of the year has a tough job ahead of him, especially with another franchise that doesn’t have its quarterback figured out.
Cousins, after his injury, is a shell of himself and cannot produce at the same level. Penix, on the other hand, hasn’t worked out at the NFL level so far, with a long history of injuries continuing to affect him in the league as well.
Reports indicate that Cousins is likely getting released this summer, and Penix’s shoulder injury, a tale since his collegiate days, could hamper his availability in 2026.
With a draft class that isn’t rife with talent at the quarterback spot, Atlanta could have been looking at the NFL Combine with keen eyes. However, coming out of the event, there is an unexpected rumor floating around the organization.
As Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN reported, the Falcons could be interested in getting into the Tua Tagovailoa business. “Something an NFL head coach said to me, unsolicited: ‘Watch for Tua [Tagovailoa] in Atlanta.'”
The Miami Dolphins’ star has been a shell of himself since grabbing a four-year, $212.4 million contract after an electric 2023 campaign. Leading the league in passing yards and leading the team to a playoff berth, it seemed like the Dolphins finally had their quarterback figured out.
However, his concerns with concussions reared their ugly head in 2024, with retirement seeming like a legitimate possibility. He soldiered on, but his production wasn’t the same in 2025.
Throwing for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns, he gave up 15 interceptions. As a result, he ranked at No. 27 on PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metrics. Miami benched him near the end of the season, opting to send in Quinn Ewers under center. Now, it seems inevitable that the team will be cutting him. Adam Schefter confirmed as much on X.
“The Dolphins almost certainly will designate Tua Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 release to help defray some of the $99.2 million in dead money it will cost to release him, per
@DanGrazianoESPN.”
But the hope for the Falcons has to be that an offense that is supported by one of the best running backs in the league, in Robinson, and a passing attack that relies on short and intermediate passes more than long bombs could be a situation that brings out the best in Tagovailoa.
