Former Miami Dolphins teammate Patrick Paul has words of praise and encouragement for Tua Tagovailoa.

Tua Tagovailoa’s departure to the Atlanta Falcons has left the Miami Dolphins with their highest-ever amount of “dead money”  . The franchise is facing a whopping $99.2 million.

However, that doesn’t automatically mean Tagovailoa has a bad reputation in Miami. Former teammate Patrick Paul has great confidence in the 28-year-old’s comeback.

Patrick Paul: “He’ll definitely secure that spot”

As for his future, Paul, an offensive tackle for the Dolphins, wishes his former quarterback nothing but the best with the Atlanta Falcons.

“Now that he’s moving to Atlanta, he has a new situation, a new environment, and I know he’ll make his mark there,” Paul clarified on the show “The Set with Terron Armstead.” “He’ll definitely secure that spot,” the 24-year-old added.

Top Prospects with the Falcons

The starting point for this isn’t bad, in any case. With the Falcons, Tagovailoa will compete with Michael Penix Jr. for a starting spot. Penix Jr. is just returning from a knee injury. Competition for the starting role shouldn’t begin until Penix has fully recovered.

Additionally, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski is new to the Falcons. Both quarterbacks are starting from scratch and will have to prove themselves.

That’s why Paul has no doubt about a Tua comeback: “He’s a great player. I’m definitely rooting for him.”

A comeback despite a difficult past?

As recently as 2023, Tagovailoa was still considered the perfect fit for former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. In the following two years, however, injuries and a significant drop in performance held him back.

In 2025, he threw 15 interceptions, setting a career high. As a result, Tagovailoa was released this offseason, leaving the Dolphins with an incredible $99.2 million in “dead money”—an NFL record that no one wants.

And yet, Paul remains optimistic: “I know he’ll bounce back from what happened last year and that he’ll go out there and do his thing. So I’m waiting to see that. I’m waiting to see him bounce back. For sure. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. It’s just a comeback.”