Quarterback, quarterback, quarterback, it is all about the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. The position has held back a talented roster for many seasons. They have yet to find an heir apparent to Matt Ryan, leading to nearly a decade-long playoff drought.
However, the hire of Kevin Stefanski and a new coaching staff and a slight tweak to the depth chart bring a new reason for hope. After two years and one of the worst switched out their high-priced backup, Kirk Cousins, for one of the cheapest options possible in Tua Tagovailoa.
Swapping Tua for Cousins comes with a lot of risk, but a whole lot of reward. Cousins, while entering the final years of his career, has a longer track record than the new Falcon. But the newcomer also has more tread on his tires, with his own history of success.
PFF QB rankings say Falcons downgraded going from Kirk Cousins to Tua Tagovailoa
Right now, we can only rely on opinions, but should see quickly who the better option is. Tagovailoa has the slight edge over Michael Penix Jr. to start the season, while Cousins is firmly entrenched as the Las Vegas Raiders' starter until they call upon reigning No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
But was this an upgrade or downgrade? It is the question we are all asking, and will be the one that likely defines the Falcons' 2026 prospects. If you ask Pro Football Focus's Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick, who recently ranked the top 32 QBs in the NFL, it is a bad sign for the Dirty Birds. Coming in at No. 27 was Cousins, while Tagovailoa took the next spot at No. 28
They pointed to Cousins' solid play during his half-season stint as the Falcons' starter last season. He ranked 14th of 43 qualifiers with a 75 grade. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa has a 67.9 grade over his past two seasons, ranking 31st of 33 qualifiers. Not to mention, he's played one complete season in six years.
Those are reasons to be concerned. The best evaluation is what you have done most recently on the field. For the new Falcon, it has been anything but good.
That being said, the pair mentioned how Tagovailoa ranked fourth in PFF WAR from 2022 to 2023. He was known for his efficiency throwing to talented pass catchers like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Many factors went into the Dolphins' poor 2024 and 2025 seasons. Rumors have swirled that Mike McDaniels' offense just didn't work anymore, leaving Tagovailoa out to dry.
Stefanski's crew are banking on the change of scenery being what the veteran needs to get back to his Pro Bowl form. After all, the former first-round pick has a resume that includes being the league's passer rating leader in 2022, the passing yards leader in 2023, and the completion percentage leader in 2024. Hopefully, the 28-year-old can get back to that level.
It is hard to fault the organization for upgrading their ceiling by switching Cousins for Tagovailoa, even if the rankings say otherwise.
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