Now that the NFL combine is in the books, the rumor mill is swirling about what could go down this offseason. The burning question for the Atlanta Falcons has been at the quarterback position, so while Michael Penix Jr. can still be the future, the Falcons badly need a short-term backup behind him.
In Ian Cunningham's first offseason as Atlanta's general manager, he has a major question he has to answer: do the Falcons see Michael Penix Jr as the future of the franchise? Right now, it's unclear, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler thinks that their path forward is obvious if you really give it some thought.
Just like many of us do, Dan Graziano sees the Joe Flacco-to-Atlanta marriage as one of the worst-kept secrets in league circles. But Fowler is hearing otherwise, and it's not Malik Willis. Fowler reported that Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons has gained steam in recent weeks after an NFL head coach told him that it could happen at the combine.
"Something an NFL head coach said to me, unsolicited: "Watch for Tua [ Tagovailoa] in Atlanta.""Jeremy Fowler
Assuming that Tua is released by the Miami Dolphins (which is the likely outcome), he'll be available, and his market won't be very robust. In all likelihood, he will sign a cheap prove-it deal since the Dolphins will be paying him $54 million in 2026, making him a worthy gamble behind Penix for the Dirty Birds.
Even if Michael Penix Jr. is the starter, the Falcons could look to Tua Tagovailoa to push him for the starting job
I know what you're probably thinking right now: why would we want this guy? His 15 interceptions in 2025 were the second-most in the NFL, while only Geno Smith and Cam Ward logged a worse QBR than Tagovailoa in 2025. But I don't believe that he's solely to blame for Miami's offensive struggles.
Beyond the concussion woes that turned him into a lemon under center, Mike McDaniel's offense has started to get figured out due to their over-reliance on speed demons, which was never going to be sustainable. After all, it wasn't too long ago that the 27-year-old led the NFL in passing yards in 2023.
Having Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts at his disposal is a strong recipe for a bounce-back year too. Similarly to Penix, Tagovailoa a lefty who thrives most as a play-action passer, although I would argue that the former has better true arm talent despite the many similarities between them.
We still don't even know if Penix will be back in time for Week 1, but the Falcons need to add insurance regardless. His status as the long-term franchise QB is far from guaranteed, so the addition of a former Pro Bowler like Tagovailoa could be the push he needs to take a step in the right direction.