The Atlanta Falcons, simply put, need to find a long-term quarterback solution, and at least need to be competent at the position in 2026. With how weak the NFC South is, the division was won by the eight-win Carolina Panthers in 2025, and it might not take more than nine wins to capture the title in 2026.
You could argue that, outside of the quarterback, the Falcons have the strongest roster and perhaps now have the best head coach in Kevin Stefanski, but there is still a lot of 'if' at play here. And the biggest 'if' in this division could be Tua Tagovalioa, who the Falcons signed on a league-minimum deal worth just over $1.3 million.
With the Miami Dolphins footing most of the bill, the Falcons were able to snag Tagovailoa for virtually nothing, and to be fair, he does have some rock-solid quarterback play as recently as the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Furthermore, when you look at the deal Kirk Cousins just signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, it's proof that the Falcons are better off with Tagovailoa.
The Atlanta Falcons are much better off with Tua Tagovailoa than they are with Kirk Cousins
The contract terms are just flat-out insane and only further prove that the Falcons are better off, financially and otherwise, with Tagovailoa:
Comp update: Kirk Cousins will sign a five-year, $172 million deal with the Raiders that in reality is a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal that also contains a club option for two years at $80M.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 2, 2026
The Falcons will pay Cousins $8.7 million this season, the Raiders another… pic.twitter.com/MHYqOOfBs7
It's another fully-guarateed deal for Cousins, who was regressing into a backup-caliber passer as his time with the Falcons was winding down. Cousins, who might have another season up his sleeve, could be in line to start for the Raiders in 2026, as the team might not want to rush future (likely) no. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza out there.
This contract does contain a lot of 'funny money,' but it's still a rather large deal and makes the Tagovailoa contract look better and better for the Falcons. The deal is essentially for one year and $20 million, which is still a bit of an overpay for a veteran who just isn't the player he used to be.
New Raiders QB Kirk Cousins will now make $20 million fully guaranteed for playing the 2026 season, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 2, 2026
That’s double the $10M guarantee Cousins had left on his Falcons contract, and puts him in line to potentially be the Week 1 starter in Las Vegas.
Here’s how it… pic.twitter.com/QhpF8pE0o5
And when the circumstances are 'normal,' you don't really see a noticeable difference in the quarterback play from Cousins and Tagovailoa. And with Stefanski now as the head coach, coupled with the wealth of weapons that the Falcons have, the much younger Tagovailoa might emerge as one of the 'steals' in the NFL this year, financially speaking.
We also cannot pretend that Tagovailoa hasn't been a good quarterback before. From the 2022-2024 seasons, he went 25-16 as a starter with 73 touchdowns, 29 interceptions, and a stellar passer rating of 102.5. If the Falcons get close to this from the former Dolphins' passer, they will win double-digit games and capture the NFC South title in 2026.