Tua Tagovailoa
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QB Tua Tagovailoa.
It was clear the moment that Tua Tagovailoa signed with the Atlanta Falcons that the quarterback situation would be a continuous talking point for the team. That goes from the offseason all the way through the 2026 season.
That’s not unfamiliar territory for the Falcons, who went through a similar situation with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. Now, the new storyline falls between Tagovailoa and Penix and who might be the future for the team.
That’s right, the future of the team, not just who will be the starter come Week 1. For both Tagovailoa and Penix, their careers are seemingly on the line with the Falcons next season. However, it starts with Tagovailoa.
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For the Falcons, signing Tagovailoa was a no-brainer. With the Miami Dolphins paying him an exorbitant amount of money not to play for them, Atlanta signed him to a team-friendly deal. He’s low-risk, high reward.
That doesn’t mean he’s not looking to resurrect his career, though. But is there a certain timeline in order to do so?
On the March 25 episode of ESPN’s Get Up, Dan Orlovsky said that Tagovailoa — who he agreed with host Mike Greenberg has landed in a perfect spot in Atlanta — has to prove himself by November of next season.
“I agree landing in a great spot,” Orlovsky said. “He’s got until November to prove it. … You get until November, if you’re Tua, to prove that you can be, at least in the conversation, for the future as their starting quarterback.”
Orlovsky went on to say that the Falcons have been held back by bad quarterback play for “about three years,” despite the talent elsewhere on the roster.
“If you’re Atlanta and you get to the middle of November and Tua’s playing good, not great, but good, you have to 1. prove you can be unquestionably healthy for the whole season. 2. play at a ridiculously high level for Atlanta not to be thinking who’s the starting quarterback in 2027. That’s just the reality.”
Since Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, that’s when the decline at the position began. That’s been one of the main contributing factors that’s kept the Falcons out of the playoffs for eight straight seasons.
That being said, if Tagovailoa can come in and lead Atlanta back to the playoffs, that will be a huge feather in his cap toward his future with the team — or perhaps elsewhere if he were to hit free agency in 2027.
Falcons Embrace QB Competition Between Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr.
That timeline also lines up with how the Falcons are approaching their quarterback room internally.
According to Falcons.com’s Will McFadden, Atlanta plans to let Tagovailoa and Penix compete throughout the offseason and into the season once Penix is cleared from knee surgery.
“For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in to compete, just like Michael knows that he’s coming in to compete,” general manager Ian Cunningham said.
Tagovailoa embraced that immediately.
“I would say you don’t choose a team based off of whether I’m going to be starting or not,” Tagovailoa said. “… I am no stranger to competition.”
He also made it clear the competition won’t be one-sided.
“I think whatever I can do to help Mike’s game will help me… we keep growing and battling together.”
Tagovailoa added that he still believes his best football is ahead of him, but the message is clear — the Falcons are letting this play out.
And if Orlovsky is right, Tagovailoa doesn’t have long to prove he’s the future.