The Buccaneers hosted free agent linebacker DeAngelo Malone on a free agent visit on Thursday.
Malone, 26, spent his first four seasons with the Falcons after they made him a third-round pick in 2022.
He landed on injured reserve last season after injuring an ankle in Week 10 against the Colts. Malone ended up playing nine games, and he totaled eight tackles, an interception and a pass defensed.
Malone played all but two games in his first three seasons.
In his career, Malone has recorded 59 tackles, three sacks, an interception and a pass defensed.
The Falcons have signed free agent running back Tyler Goodson, the team announced Thursday.
Goodson is a native of Suwanee, Georgia, who attended North Gwinnett High School, so he is returning to his home state to continue his professional career. He will join a backfield that features Bijan Robinson.
The Packers signed Goodson as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after he gained more than 3,000 scrimmage yards during his three-year career at the University of Iowa. He spent his rookie season on the Packers’ practice squad before joining the Colts in 2023.
Goodson has appeared in 33 games for the Colts the past three seasons with one start. He has gained 376 yards from scrimmage, including 264 on the ground, and has scored two touchdowns.
In 2025, Goodson played 35 offensive snaps and 130 on special teams in 11 games. He had 11 touches for 32 yards.
Tua Tagovailoa wouldn’t blame his departure from Miami on anyone but himself. He said he didn’t want “to get too much in depth with things that were going on.”
Instead, in his introductory news conference in Atlanta, the quarterback conceded his play didn’t live up to expectations.
“If you’re looking at last year, my play wasn’t up to the standard of the way I’ve been playing football in the past . . . three years since the new contract,” Tagovailoa said. “So, [I’ve] just got to play better football. That’s what that really means. There’s no other way to sugarcoat that or go around that.”
The Dolphins benched him last season after he threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 14 games, turning over the starting job to rookie Quinn Ewers. The team completely moved on earlier this month, releasing him despite taking on an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead cap money.
He signed a $1.3 million deal with the Falcons.
“Last year wasn’t the best year for me,” Tagovailoa said. “I’m looking for a fresh start, but fresh start in the sense of being able to compete, being able to go back out there and playing football, good football. And I think the best football is still ahead of me.”
The Falcons are doubling down on Robinsons in their offensive backfield for the 2026 season.
According to multiple reports, they are signing former Commanders and 49ers running back Brian Robinson. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports it is a one-year, $2.5 million deal.
Bijan Robinson is the starting running back in Atlanta, so the newcomer will be ticketed for the same kind of backup role he played behind Christian McCaffrey after the Commanders traded him to the Niners last year.
Robinson had 92 carries for 400 yards and two touchdowns in that role. He had 570 carries for 2,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons with Washington.
Tua Tagovailoa wouldn’t be on the Falcons right now if he’d played up to expectations in Miami the last couple of years, but that’s not new information for him.
Tagovailoa agreed to sign with Atlanta before he was officially released by the Dolphins and the quarterback spoke to reporters on Tuesday for the first time since agreeing to that deal. Tagovailoa acknowledged that his play failed to reach the standard he set for himself before the Dolphins opted to bench him for the final weeks of the regular season before adding that he appreciates the chance for a fresh start with the Falcons.
“I think the best football is ahead of me,” Tagovailoa said, via Tori Mcelhaney of the team’s website.
Atlanta drafted Michael Penix in the first round in 2024, so it’s not a sure thing that Tagovailoa will get a chance to show off his skills on the field. He said on Tuesday that he welcomes the chance to compete for playing time and to aid Penix in any way he can once they begin working together at practice. Penix’s health as he recovers from a torn ACL will be another part of the team’s quarterback choice, but Tagovailoa sounds ready for things to take any path for the 2026 season.
