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Tua Tagovailoa looks to make a statement in Kevin Stefanski's offense going into the Atlanta Falcons' 2026 season. Tagovailoa prepares for the seventh season of his NFL career, his first with the Falcons. He spent the first six years with the Miami Dolphins before the team cut him in the offseason. Eventually, he signed a one-year, $1.215 million contract with Atlanta. Tagovailoa took part in the Falcons' preseason finale against the Dolphins. He completed seven out of eight passes for 95 yards, splitting reps with Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. Stefanski, preparing for his first year as the Falcons' coach, reflected on Tagovailoa's performance after the game. “I thought Tua did a nice job operating, obviously moving the football for a couple drives. Plenty to clean up. An avoidable center-to-quarterback exchange. We have to clean that up. And we will. I thought by and large, [he] operated,” Stefanski said, per reporter Marc Raimondi. How Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons played against Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa has going down to the wire with Michael Penix Jr. for the Falcons' starting job. With the preseason over, it is up to Kevin Stefanski to make the important decision. The Falcons ended the preseason with a 2-1 record, coming out of the finale with a 17-12 win over the Dolphins. Atlanta did all of its damage in the first half, scoring all 17 points as they prevented Miami from getting a touchdown at any point of the contest. Brian Robinson Jr. led the rushing attack with five carries for 17 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Kyle Pitts Sr. caught three passes for 57 yards and Jack Velling made four receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown. They will seek to improve on their 8-9 record from the previous two seasons. They also intend to make the playoffs after an eight-year absence and end their nine-year NFC South title drought. The Falcons' regular season commences on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.