Sources: QB Tua Tagovailoa to sign 1-year deal with Falcons - ESPN

Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa plans to sign a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The move now will give the Falcons two left-handed quarterbacks, Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., heading into the 2026 season.

Tagovailoa was informed Monday that he will be released by the Dolphins.

The Falcons entered the offseason in the market for a quarterback, with Penix Jr. recovering from a knee injury and Kirk Cousins set to be released before the start of the new league year Wednesday.

Atlanta's answer at the position is Tagovailoa, who will cost the Dolphins an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead money against the salary cap. A source told Schefter that Tagovailoa's release will be designated post-June 1, allowing the Dolphins to split the dead money over two years.

The post-June 1 designation will leave the Dolphins with a $67.4 million dead hit against the salary cap in 2026, followed by $31.8 million in 2027. The move ends Tagovailoa's six seasons in Miami only one year into the franchise-record extension he signed in 2024.

Penix, who was the Falcons' starter last season, went down with a torn left ACL in Week 11. His return date is unclear, though Penix has told reporters that he believes he will be ready for Week 1.

After Penix's injury, the Falcons turned to Cousins, who led Atlanta to four straight wins to close out the season and salvage an 8-9 record.

Atlanta drafted Penix at No. 8 in 2024, just weeks after signing Cousins to a contract with $100 million guaranteed. Cousins led the Falcons to a 6-3 start in 2024 before an arm injury derailed his season. Cousins was benched after a five-game stretch with nine interceptions, and Penix was given the starting role