April is traditionally the time of year when the NFL franchises reopen their doors, as early preparations begin for the season ahead. Such is the case in 2026, with the offseason workout programmes now underway across the United States.
For many players, these workouts present an opportunity to get in some early fitness work; for others, they grant the chance to become acquainted with their new surroundings. Falling into that latter camp are a trio of quarterbacks who have relocated during the offseason.
Tua to Take Flight with Falcons
The Tua Tagovailoa era in Miami officially came to an end in March, with the Dolphins absorbing an NFL-record dead cap hit of $99.2 million to head in a new direction. However, the 28-year-old wasn’t on the market for long and has found himself a new home in Atlanta.
Having released veteran Kirk Cousins and with Michael Penix Jr recovering from his third ACL tear, the Falcons found themselves in need at the quarterback position. Tagovailoa joins on a one-year, $54 million deal. However, Atlanta will pay only $1.3 million of that, with the remaining $52.7 million bill falling on the Dolphins. At that price, the player who was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft represents a low-risk investment with a high potential upside.
Posting a winning record in each of his first two seasons in Miami, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to the postseason in both 2022 and 2023. That 2023 campaign stands out as the best of his career as he led the NFL in passing yards and earned a first Pro Bowl selection.
Tagovailoa has failed to build on that 2023 season, going 6-5 as a starter in 2024 and 6-8 in 2025. Injuries have played a role in that decline, with concussions first suffered during the 2022 season blighting his progress. Nevertheless, he has been given the all-clear to start his new adventure in Georgia and is expected to battle with Penix Jr for the starter’s role.
Malik Moves to Miami
Only a few hours after the release of Tua Tagovailoa was announced, the Miami Dolphins confirmed that his replacement would be former Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis. The 26-year-old arrives via free agency on a three-year $67.5 million deal, with the first $45 million over two years fully guaranteed. That isn’t an exorbitant sum to pay for a starting quarterback, but it is a significant fee given Willis’s lack of experience in the starting role.
Following a successful college career with the Auburn Tigers and Liberty Flames, Georgia native Willis was taken in the third round of the 2022 draft by the Tennessee Titans. After only three starts in two seasons, the Titans traded Willis to Green Bay for a seventh-round pick ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Brought in as backup to Jordan Love, Willis impressed when given an opportunity in Green Bay. In four games in 2025, including one as a starter, Willis completed 30 of 35 passes for 422 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Coping well when forced out of the pocket, he rushed for a further 123 yards and two touchdowns, showing the type of dynamism often lacking with Tagovailoa under centre.
In heading to Miami, Willis is reunited with head coach Jeff Hafley, who served as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, and General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who spent time as the vice president of player personnel in Green Bay. Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan and secondary coach Ryan Downard add to the Green Bay connection, having followed Hafley to Miami in the offseason.
Murray Arrives in Minnesota
Also on the move is the quarterback who was taken by Arizona with the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. Following seven years in Arizona, Kyler Murray was officially released by the Cardinals on 11 March 2026. Just one day later, he signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Murray, who supported the Vikings in his youth, will be reunited with former Texas A&M teammate Jordan Traylor, who now serves as the Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach.
In a deal structure similar to the Tua Tagovailoa move to Atlanta, the Vikings will pay the veteran minimum of $1.3 million to secure Murray for the coming season, with the Cardinals picking up the remainder of his $36.8 million salary for 2026.
Much like Tagovailoa, Murray started well in the NFL, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021, and leading the Cardinals to the postseason in that latter campaign. However, he arrives on the back of a season in which he started only five games due to a foot injury.
Murray will compete with JJ McCarthy for the starting role in Minnesota. Taken with the tenth overall pick in the 2024 draft, McCarthy has endured a troubled start. Following a rookie year written off by injury, he threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during ten erratic starts in 2025. In contrast, Murray’s career regular-season numbers sit at 87 starts, 20,640 yards, 121 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions. One of the game’s elite scrambling quarterbacks when at his best, Murray has added 3,193 yards and 32 scores on the ground.