March 1, 2026, 9:58 a.m. ET
While they’re still trying to find a team to trade for him this offseason, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday that the Miami Dolphins are expected to release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa by the third day of the new league year.
At that point, Tagovailoa will be free to find a new home with another team, and ESPN’s pair of insiders have heard some rumbling about which teams could be interested.
First, they reported that Tagovailoa is on the radar for the Minnesota Vikings, along with fellow veterans Kyler Murray, Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins.
While Tagovailoa would have a great offensive head coach in Kevin O’Connell and two tremendous wide receivers to throw to in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, it seems unlikely that he’d be willing to work with former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores again, who is currently serving as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator.
There’s too much bad blood there.
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However, Fowler also reported that an NFL head coach told him to keep an eye on the Atlanta Falcons and a potential landing spot for Tagovailoa.
In Atlanta, Tagovailoa would have another strong offensive mind in Kevin Stefanski leading things, and he’d have Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson lining up with him on offense.
While the Falcons just drafted Michael Penix in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, he hasn’t been impressive, completing just 59.6% of his passes for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions in 14 games (12 starts). The team has a 4-8 record with Penix under center.
Tagovailoa could be brought in to compete, and considering they’re both lefties, that may make some things easier.
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