3 Best Teams for QB Tua Tagovailoa in NFL Free Agency

Tua Tagovailoa is coming off one of his worst seasons as a professional, throwing for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions for a passer rating of 88.5. The Dolphins quarterback started 14 games last year before being benched for the final three games in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers. Tagovailoa struggled to stay healthy during his six seasons in the NFL, missing significant time due to concussion issues in addition to rib fractures, broken fingers and a back injury. However, the Alabama product played winning football, going 44-32 as a starter, reaching the playoffs once during his time in Miami and making the Pro Bowl in 2023 after leading the NFL in passing yards this season. Selected No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft, Tagovailoa is only 28 years old. Like Super Bowl-winning QB Sam Darnold — who bounced from the Jets to the Panthers to the 49ers to the Vikings to the Seahawks — he could reignite his career at another location. The Dolphins would like to trade Tagovailoa, but will likely have to cut him, designating him for release after June 1 to help pay off some of the $99.2 million in dead money on the books. Tagovailoa is set to receive $54 million in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season, and $3 million of his 2027 salary will be fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year next week. Here are three teams that would make sense for Tagovailoa to revive his career. 3. Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals are starting over – again – by releasing quarterback Kyler Murray and hiring new head coach Mike LaFleur. The former Rams offensive coordinator brings with him a quarterback-friendly system that relies on running the football and play-action to take pressure off the QB to carry the offense. Arizona is also a warm-weather team that plays indoors, which would benefit a quarterback like Tagovailoa. He doesn’t possess a strong arm, but he’s accurate, throws with anticipation and excels as a play-caller. He would give LaFleur a low-cost option who still has tires and could excel in his offensive system, serving as a bridge quarterback until the Cardinals find a long-term developmental prospect. [RELATED: 3 Best Team Fits for QB Kyler Murray in NFL Free Agency] 2. Atlanta Falcons New head coach Kevin Stefanski signed a left-handed quarterback in Dillon Gabriel while coaching the Cleveland Browns. Stefanski now takes over a team with a left-handed quarterback as the team’s projected starter in Michael Penix Jr. So why not bring in a left-handed quarterback in Tagovailoa to start until Penix returns from the partial ACL tear he suffered last November? Tagovailoa would be a great fit in Stefanski’s system, a West Coast-based program that relies on running the football and passing plays. The Falcons play in a dome, which should serve Tagovailoa well. Additionally, Atlanta has a strong offensive line and one of the best groups of offensive weapons in the league, led by running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London. 1. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay helped revive the career of quarterback Baker Mayfield, who had his best seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a stint in Los Angeles in 2022. And we also saw transformations in the careers of QBs Darnold, Geno Smith and Daniel Jones after leaving their original teams. Could Tagovailoa experience a similar turnaround as Matthew Stafford’s one-season replacement in Los Angeles? There’s a good chance that Rams backup Jimmy Garoppolo will get an opportunity to become a starter for another team in free agency. If that happens, Tagovailoa could sign with the Rams and learn for a year under McVay as Stafford’s backup. And if the 38-year-old NFL MVP decides to retire after the 2026 season, Tagovailoa would be in place to take over in 2027. Even if Stafford stays, working with offensive guru McVay for a year could change the trajectory of Tagovailoa’s career. He could find a starting job elsewhere in 2027 and rewrite the narrative of who he is as a player in the league.