Tua Tagovailoa will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job in Atlanta, GM says

Newly signed Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job in Atlanta, where Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in November, general manager Ian Cunningham said Friday.

“For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in to compete, just like Michael knows he’s coming in to compete. Quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position, but everybody’s coming in to compete,” Cunningham told reporters. "We’re excited to have Tua, but we’re excited to have all the players that we were able to get in this free agent class.”

Cunningham said he spoke with the agent for Penix before signing Tagovailoa, who was released this week by the Miami Dolphins, and new coach Kevin Stefanski talked to the young quarterback personally.

"You don’t want to blindside somebody,” Cunningham said. “We want to have open conversations and communication, and we feel like we did that in regards to Michael and Tua.”

Penix, who was drafted by the Falcons in 2024, threw for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions last season before going down with the season-ending torn ACL in November. He was replaced by Kirk Cousins, who was released this week.

Penix is expected to be sidelined through the start of the 2026 season, giving Tagovailoa a potential opportunity to prove himself early.

Tagovailoa is coming off an up-and-down six-year stint in Miami, where the Dolphins signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension after he led the league in passing yards in 2023. Miami will owe him $54 million in 2026 as a result.

The following two seasons were turbulent, as the quarterback suffered his fourth documented concussion and his play regressed. He was benched for the final three games in 2025 after throwing for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, signaling his time in Miami was over.

Cunningham's first free agent signings as general manager of the Falcons share the desire for a fresh start. Like Tagovailoa, receiver Jahan Dotson was eager for a new beginning.

Dotson, a former first-round pick by Washington, spent his past two seasons in Philadelphia in a star-studded receiving room with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. He caught 37 passes for 478 yards and a touchdown in his time as an Eagle.

Approaching his first free agency, Dotson sought a home where he could have a bigger impact in the receiving game.

“The big thing for me was going to a team where I feel like my talent will be on display, and my talent can be showcased," Dotson said Friday. “I 100% believe in my talent, my ability to make plays in this football league, it's just about getting the opportunity to do so.”

Dotson joins a position group with Drake London, one of the lone men standing in the Falcons' receiving room after the team parted ways with Darnell Mooney and KhaDarel Hodge.

Tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., whom the Falcons have franchise tagged, led the team with 928 receiving yards last season. All Pro running back Bijan Robinson played a major role in the receiving game as well, adding 820 yards and four TDs receiving in addition to 1,478 rushing yards and seven rushing scores.