Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons, Kevin Stefanski
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Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins looks to throw a pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter in the game at Hard Rock Stadium on October 30, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Almost all things seem new with the Atlanta Falcons entering the 2026 season.
The Falcons are welcoming in new head coach Kevin Stefanski, along with new general manager Ian Cunningham, who, along with president of football Matt Ryan, decided to make some needed changes to the quarterback room.
Atlanta decided it was time to release Kirk Cousins after just two seasons. Cousins was signed by the former regime of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
To fix a gaping hole in the quarterback room, the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa after he became a free agent following his release from the Miami Dolphins.
Tagovailoa will now get ready to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job this fall. But it’s that uncertainty as to why Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon says the Falcons should feel uncomfortable about their quarterback room.
Falcons Ranked Among NFL’s Worst QB Situations Entering Draft
Gagnon listed the Falcons as his No. 7 team for the worst quarterback situations in the NFL entering the 2026 draft. Obviously, not being ranked No. 1 is nice, but the fact Atlanta is ranked at all on this list isn’t exactly encouraging.
Ultimately, Gagnon believes the idea of having to choose between two quarterbacks who have struggled as starters leaves them in a difficult position.
“Even prior to suffering a partially torn ACL midway through his sophomore season, former No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. wasn’t inspiring much confidence. Now, he’s recovering from said injury while the team rolls the dice on Tua Tagovailoa following his flameout in Miami,” Gagnon wrote.
The one silver lining could be that the rest of the offensive pieces around Tagovailoa and Penix should elevate them no matter what.
“Both are talented top-10 picks on the right side of 30. In Tagovailoa’s case, you’ve got a guy with three triple-digit-rated seasons on his resume. And it could help that the offense is loaded with talent at running back, receiver, tight end and along the offensive line,” Gagnon added.
From 2022-2024, Tagovailoa averaged a passer rating of 102.5. He went 25-16 during that stretch, throwing for 11,039 yards, 73 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.
Falcons’ Cheap QB Setup Gives Team Flexibility In 2026
Another positive in this case for the Falcons is they aren’t paying bloated salaries for either of their quarterbacks.
Well, minus Cousins, who they are paying $8.3 million this season to play for the Las Vegas Raiders.
In bringing in Tagovailoa, they signed him to the league minimum at $1.2 million while the Dolphins pick up the tab for $54 million.
Meanwhile, Penix is in the third year of his rookie deal, where he’s set to make a base salary of just over $1 million.
“At least the two aren’t costing much and could theoretically push each other. I just don’t see either becoming the long-term quarterback,” Gagnon wrote.
That more than likely makes 2026 a trial-run season for both Tagovailoa and Penix, with the Falcons left to figure out where they want to go from there.
If Tagovailoa plays well, they could re-sign him to a new long-term deal. For Penix, Atlanta would still have one year remaining on his rookie contract at $1.1 million with a club option for 2028.
While this appears to be the Falcons’ plan for now, it just means this team may have to potentially wait even longer to truly become contenders again.