The Atlanta Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, but the move didn’t generate much excitement. In fact, somewhat of the opposite happened, as there was a sense of frustration that Tagovailoa could end up in the lineup, when many fans want to see Michael Penix Jr. reclaim his starting role.
Ultimately, that will be decided by the two quarterbacks’ health, and how they perform on the field. That’s also why one analyst is admant that it’s a good thing the Falcons added Tagovailoa.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently named the best and worst move of the offseason for every NFC team. For Atlanta, the analyst argued that signing Tagovailoa was the team’s best move in 2026.
Signing Tua Tagovailoa named Falcons’ best offseason move
Barnwell’s argument was pretty simple and clear, he believes Atlanta signed a starting-caliber quarterback for the veterans minimum of $1.2 million. The analyst believes it doesn’t get much better than that. Barnwell acknowledged that Tagovailoa may never even play for the Falcons, but that doesn’t matter since the investment in the veteran quarterback is so little.
However, a case was also made about Tagovailoa‘a on-field value. Even if he serves as a backup all season long, he’ll be considered one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, while making much less than solid QB2s.
Beyond that, Barnwell believes Tagovailoa can be really good competition for young quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who’s still developing. The analyst detailed how Tagovailoa has played high level football during his time in the league, and how there’s a version of him that could push Penix to another level.
Even in the event that Penix is sidelined with an injury, Tagovailoa is more than capable of coming in and providing solid play that helps the Falcons win games.
Having all of that in a backup quarterback, for just over one million dollars, is what every fan wants. Even if the presence of Tagovailoa comes with a little drama about the possibility that he could take the spot of a promising young quarterback, that’s a worthy tradeoff for all the things he can provide to the team at an incredible value.
Ultimately, it will be Penix’s job to prove he belongs on the field, and for him to remain on it. But if he’s unsuccessful at doing that, Atlanta has a great insurance option in Tagovailoa.
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