Tua Tagovailoa is a Falcon. That is a sentence nobody expected to write a year ago. But here we are, and Atlanta may be about to hand him the keys for at least the first part of the season.
Atlanta signed Tagovailoa to a one year, 1.3 million dollar deal in March after the Dolphins released him. It was a low risk depth signing on paper. In reality, it might be a de facto starter move.
Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons’ first round pick from 2024, is coming back from a season ending ACL injury. His timeline for a full return is not clear, but he has not been cleared for full contact yet. If Penix is not ready by September, Tua is going to be the guy Atlanta rolls with.
Falcons fans should keep expectations in check. Tua is not the same quarterback he was in Miami’s peak years. He is 28 years old but has taken a lot of hits. Concussion concerns have hovered over his career. He is coming off a season where his production was down.
But he is also, at his best, a legitimate NFL starter. He led the league in passing yards in 2023. He has real chemistry with a quick passing game. When the offense around him is good, he can put up numbers.
Atlanta has that kind of offense. The Falcons have Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. Zac Robinson is the offensive coordinator. There is talent to work with.
The setup gives Tua a chance for a career reset. Atlanta does not need him to be an MVP. They need him to complete short passes on rhythm, hand the ball off to Bijan, and get out of the way when Kyle Pitts and Drake London are open. That is doable.
The Penix question hovers over everything. Atlanta traded up to take Penix eighth overall in 2024, one year after they signed Kirk Cousins to a huge contract. That decision made no sense at the time and made even less sense when Cousins got hurt. Atlanta released Cousins this offseason and reset around Penix.
Then Penix tore his ACL. The rebuild timeline reset again. Now Tua is the bridge.
The Falcons will not officially name a starter until camp. Both quarterbacks are competing on paper. In reality, Tua has a two month head start because he can practice at full speed while Penix is still ramping up.
Interesting side note: Atlanta now has two left handed quarterbacks on the roster. That is a rarity in the modern NFL. Tua and Penix both throw with the left hand. Whether that matters for anything beyond a trivia question is up to the offensive coordinator.
The NFC South is up for grabs. The Buccaneers are still figuring out Baker Mayfield’s contract. The Panthers are still rebuilding. The Saints are in transition. Atlanta could win the division with a competent quarterback and a healthy Bijan Robinson.
Tua does not have to be great. He has to be functional. If he is, Atlanta could be a surprise playoff team. If he is not, Penix has a chance to take over midseason and start his own timeline as the future of the franchise.
Either way, this signing has more meaning than the 1.3 million dollar contract number suggests. Atlanta might be about to start Tua Tagovailoa in September. Nobody expected that when the Dolphins let him go.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
