After being unceremoniously dumped by the Miami Dolphins earlier this year after six seasons as their starter, Tua Tagovailoa signed with the Atlanta Falcons in hopes of backing up or even competing with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job. But as the offseason winds to a close, Tua could be on the move once again.
On Thursday, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright came up with a list of four quarterbacks can he can see “on the move in the next few weeks.” The list included Tua, Cleveland Browns third-stringer Dillon Gabriel, former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick J.J. McCarthy and former Indianapolis Colts first-round pick Anthony Richardson.
Allbright reported that there have been calls placed on the availability of all four quarterbacks, none of whom are expected to start Week 1 this year.
Any market for Tua?
Things aren’t looking great for Tua as the 2026 regular season begins. Despite being 28 years old and theoretically in his prime, he had a tough enough time just finding a team to sign with, let alone get potential playing time with.
Even teams with serious QB issues like the Browns, Cardinals, Jets and Vikings balked at giving him any sort of deal. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll find a new team with a sudden need for his services with the regular season just two weeks away.
NFL fans certainly believe that teams are unlikely to spend resources on him:
“Why anybody would want to waste resources on McCarthy, Gabriel, or Tua, I have no idea,” one fan on X remarked.
“There’s no way teams are actually interested in these 4 QBs,” wrote another.
“Would someone actually trade for Tua or is it more contingency if he gets cut?” a third asked.
“Curious who could be interested in Tua at this point.”
Brett Davis-Imagn Images.
At one time it looked like Tua was going to be the next great NFL QB and a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. In 2023 he led the league in passing yards and made the Pro Bowl after going 11-6 as a starter and leading the Dolphins to the playoffs.
The following year, even though the Dolphins missed the playoffs and he was limited to 11 games, he led the league in completion percentage.
But things fell apart in 2025 and the Dolphins decided to do a complete rebuild at the end of the year.
Is there still time for Tua to enjoy a second act in the NFL?
