Former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel took to social media this week with a bold statement of the team's offseason direction and quarterback situation. He believes in Tua Tagovailoa and he believes he can thrive with a change of scenery now that he's in a better situation in Atlanta.
"Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons is a good fit," Samuel tweeted. "The Atlanta Falcons are a team to look out for this season. Don't be surprised if the Falcons win the NFC South."
Considering the Falcons haven't won the division since 2016 and finished last season in a three-way-tie atop the NFC South standings with the Panthers and Bucs but lost the tiebreakers and missed the postseason once again, that's a bold prediction.
However, Samuel clearly sees reasons to believe this year's team can finally break through.
Asante Samuel believes the Falcons will turn a corner with Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa just put together what ESPN's Marc Raimondi called "arguably one of his best practices of the spring.”
In an 11-on-11 red zone period, he threw touchdown passes to Bijan Robinson and completions to rookie Zachariah Branch and free agent addition Jahan Dotson. Drake London sat out with a minor injury, and Tua still made it look easy.
Kevin Stefanski's offense lives and dies on timing and accuracy… People keep forgetting that's exactly what Tagovailoa does at his best. After all, he led the NFL in completion percentage in 2024 and carries a 68 percent mark for his career.
Now he's doing it behind arguably the best offensive line he's ever played behind with a weapons room that includes Robinson, London, Pitts, and an emerging rookie.
Michael Penix Jr. is still ramping up from a partially-torn ACL and working with the second team. That could change once training camp opens in late July. But right now, Tua is running Atlanta's first team offense and making every snap count.
A former teammate disagrees
However, not every familiar face agrees with Samuel's read. Roddy White, who played with Samuel during that 2012 run, has a different QB preference:
"I just think Michael Penix is super talented," White said. "When I go out to practice and I watch him throw the ball, he can make every throw around the field."
After all, Penix was a first round pick two years ago and he's not giving anything up without a fight. But Atlanta signed Tagovailoa to a one year deal at $1.3 million. That's one of the shrewdest low-risk acquisitions of the entire offseason, and it's aging better by the day.
If Tua keeps practicing like this, it's only a matter of time before he wins the starting job and Samuel's prediction might not be so bold after all.
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