Whether you like it or not, Tua Tagovailoa is now a member of the Atlanta Falcons. He agreed to terms on a one-year minimum contract with Atlanta on Monday, and he's now right in the thick of a quarterback controversy that also includes Michael Penix Jr. amid his rehab from a partially-torn ACL.
This means there's a real shot that despite what we saw from the 29-year-old in 2025, there's a real shot that he's the Falcons' Week 1 starter. If Penix isn't ready in time (which seems unlikely) or struggles once he returns, Kevin Stefanski has a trusted veteran to fall back on if necessary.
Tagovailoa's 2025 season was absolutely miserable, but one of the only games in which he looked like a competent starter was against the Dirty Birds. He threw for 205 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 34-10 loss to the Dolphins, which Penix didn't play in since he was nursing an injury.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa
Do I think a Week 8 game between two non-playoff teams spurred Arthur Blank and this new regime to sign the ex-Pro Bowler? Absolutely not. It was probably his track record and prior experience as a starter that made him the perfect high-level backup, but this couldn't have hurt his chances.
He looked great in that game (against a pass defense that was the best in the NFL at the time), that should give teams at least a glimmer of hope surrounding him. Besides, this was a performance he did in indoor conditions, something he should grow accustomed to if he draws some starts in 2026.
The 2020 first-rounder out of Alabama has led the league in passing yards, completion percentage, and passer rating, and the only reason he's taken a step backward is because of his injury concerns. And even those are overblown, as he has played in double-digit games in all six seasons of his career.
Getting a front-row ticket to arguably his best start of the season is pretty telling, honestly. This is the same game where Kirk Cousins looked horrible in Penix's stead. His 15 interceptions in 2025 marked a career-high and were second in the NFL, yet he didn't throw a single pick when facing the Falcons.
He also had a 138.6 passer rating in this game despite coming in dealing with an eye injury. So even though the Dolphins benched him, this game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium has provided a glimmer of hope for fans, as well as another layer of reasoning behind Atlanta's biggest move of the offseason.
Weirdly enough, this is the second signing the Falcons have made of someone who ended their playoff hopes in 2025. They also signed Jets' kicker Nick Folk, who drilled a game-winning field goal as time expired against the Falcons in Week 13, which is weird that it happened twice, right?
Hopefully the guys who did so well against them will do even better for them, which is why a lot of people are on board with the Tagovailoa signing, even if the younger QB should start.