Day one of the NFL free agency period has brought newfound situations for former University of Washington standouts Michael Penix Jr. and Jake Browning.

With regards to Penix, who was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after a standout 2023 season at Washington: He now has another lefty to deal in the quarterback room.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is signing a one-year deal with Atlanta. He had just been cut by the Dolphins.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted earlier in the day that the Cincinnati Bengals did not tender Browning a contract, making him a free agent. Though Fowler says they are open to bringing him back.

He spent two years in Seattle, helping the Huskies get to the national championship game during the 2023 season. He led the Pac-12 in completions in 2022 and attempts in both 2022 and 2023. He also led the nation in passing yards (4,903) in 2023. He threw 67 touchdowns on Montlake with 19 interceptions, putting together one of the best runs in school history. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in his final season.

Then-head coach Kalen Deboer left town when Penix did, jumping ship to become the head coach at Alabama.

He's made 12 starts thus far for Atlanta over two years, going 4-8 with 12 total touchdowns and six interceptions. In November, Penix was ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL sprain and was anticipated to miss nine months. If that timeline holds true, he'll be back right around training camp.

That means that Tagovailoa will have all of OTAs to gain a foothold on the job. Furthermore, it's hard to imagine that he would sign a one-year deal to be a backup, so there should be reasonable expectation that Tagovailoa is the starter, at least at the outset of camp.

Also, the Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot after the 2025 season, meaning the front office who drafted Penix is no longer in place. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has no immediate loyalty to Penix.

A prolific passer for the Huskies, Browning played in 53 games in college. He tossed 94 touchdowns in total, including 43 in 2016, which led the Pac-12. He threw for more than 12,000 yards in those four seasons, hitting the 3,000-mark twice. He was named the 2016 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2018.

Washington played in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the Rose Bowl in his time, winning just the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

A three-year veteran of the Bengals, Browning has appeared in 17 NFL games, making 10 starts. He's 4-6 in that time with a 68.5 percent completion percentage, six touchdowns and eight interceptions.

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