Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Patrick Paul, who played alongside Tua Tagovailoa for two seasons, is confident the veteran will secure the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback job over Michael Penix in training camp.
"Him going into Atlanta now, he's got a new situation, a new environment, and I know he's going to go in there, and he's definitely going to win that spot," Paul said on Terron Armstead's podcast.
Tagovailoa signed a one-year, $1.21-million contract with the Falcons after being released by the Dolphins in March. Miami is taking on a record-breaking $99.2-million dead cap hit over the next two campaigns after cutting him this offseason.
The 28-year-old is coming off the worst year of his career, throwing for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 14 starts. The Dolphins benched Tagovailoa for the final three games of the season in favor of rookie signal-caller Quinn Ewers. Out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks during the 2025 campaign, Tagovailoa ranked 25th in passer rating and 26th in EPA/dropback, according to TruMedia.
Tagovailoa was Miami's primary starter for six seasons after entering the league as the fifth overall pick in 2020. He produced his best year in 2023, when he led the league in passing yards with 4,624 while earning a Pro Bowl nomination.
New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has said that this summer's training camp will feature an open competition between Penix and Tagovailoa for the No. 1 role. Penix, 26, is returning from a season-ending knee injury he suffered in November and wasn't fully cleared to practice during OTAs.
"(Tagovailoa) is a great player. Definitely rooting for him," Paul said. "I know he's going to bounce back from what was last year, and he's going to do his thing over there. So, I'm waiting to see it. Waiting to see his bounce back."
Five different quarterbacks have started multiple games for Atlanta since Matt Ryan left the club in 2022. During that four-year stretch, the franchise has ranked 24th in passing yards and 28th in passing touchdowns.
The Falcons will open training camp on July 28 and face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 13 in their season opener.
