Will the Falcons cut Tua Tagovailoa? Why QB’s Atlanta tenure could meet swift end after latest injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa early in the offseason, it was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward deal that wouldn’t cost them much.
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Ideally, Tagovailoa would either join the Falcons as a starter, helping ignite Kevin Stefanski’s collection of offensive weapons en route to NFC South contention, or, at the very least, he’d help Michael Penix Jr.’s development by pushing him in a competition. So far, neither of those things have happened — and Tagovailoa may not last long in Atlanta.
After initially being name the QB1 for Week 1, then being ruled out due to an injury in practice, recent reports indicate that Tagovailoa’s stint with the Falcons may be short-lived.
Here’s what to know about Tagovailoa’s future in Atlanta and his latest injury.
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With Tagovailoa being a veteran quarterback already facing an uncertain future due to his struggles in Miami last season, he seemed to have a short leash with the Falcons, facing a do-or-die 2026 season for his career. His latest injury setback, right after being named the Week 1 starter, could expedite his path back to free agency.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote Friday that if backup Cooper Rush plays well enough for Atlanta to earn a start in Week 2, there remains “a strong possibility [that Tagovailoa will] be cut if/when benched. If Rush’s performance allows him to jump a healthy Tua, the Falcons could move on.”
So far, that is the only concrete reporting that suggests Tagovailoa may not even last the full season in Atlanta. But considering the Falcons do have Penix waiting in the wings, likely only on the bench still due to his injury status, they may not see a need for Tagovailoa — especially if Rush can get the job done in Week 1.
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Tagovailoa appeared to grab at his side/back in discomfort after a pass during the media viewing period of practice on Thursday. Not long after, the Falcons said he was week-to-week with an oblique injury.
Tagovailoa could be seen sitting on the grass after appearing to tweak his side, with Rush stepping in to lead the starters in his absence.
On Friday, the Falcons officially shared that Rush would start in Week 1 due to Tagovailoa’s injury. The 32-year-old has spent his NFL career as a backup, primarily with the Cowboys, becoming Dallas‘ starter in 2024 for a stretch without Dak Prescott.
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2026 NFL POSITIONAL RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Defense
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Rank
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Player
|
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1
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Cooper Rush
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|
2
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Tua Tagovailoa (injured)
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|
3
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Michael Penix Jr. (injured)
|
Health was a concern for the Falcons’ quarterback room throughout training camp — despite having two starting-level options in Tagovailoa and Penix, both haven’t been able to stay on the field in their NFL careers. Already, that risk is materializing for Atlanta.
Penix tore his ACL in the 2025 season, adding another significant injury to a history of knee issues. The third-year passer has shown some flashes of his first-round talent, but an inability to stay on the field has been part of Penix’s struggles in the NFL; he’s likely to return to a starting role once he makes a full recovery from his injury.
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Tagovailoa, meanwhile, faces an uncertain future in Atlanta already. He led the NFL in passing in 2023, struggled for the Dolphins in 2025, was released despite a massive cap hit, then signed with the Falcons and didn’t impress in training camp. While he was named the de facto starter for Week 1 initially, another injury might mean Tagovailoa never gets an opportunity as QB1.
Rush, who signed with the Falcons before training camp, is being thrust into a starting role as the team’s quarterback struggles continue into the new season.
Tagovailoa has had a long list of injuries in the NFL, primarily dealing with concussions to the point that the future of his career has been put into question.
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In the 2022 season alone, Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions and found himself at the center of a controversy when he took a hard hit, attributed it to a back injury, then revealed a severe concussion just days later. The NFL and NFLPA altered concussion protocols in the wake of the quarterback’s situation.
In 2024, Tagovailoa had his third official diagnosed concussion in the NFL.
Between college and the NFL, Tagovailoa has also dealt with multiple broken fingers, a knee sprain, a high ankle sprain and a season-ending hip injury at Alabama.
MORE:Breaking down Tua Tagovailoa’s full injury history, concussions
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Tagovailoa is playing on a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Falcons after the Dolphins took on an NFL record $99.2 million in dead cap to release him in the offseason.
Between his Falcons contract and guaranteed earnings from Miami, Tagovailoa is still making north of $50 million for the 2026 season as a whole.
Tagovailoa is 28 years old. The 2026 NFL season will be his seventh, with the previous six all coming with the Dolphins.
