The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation was already one of the NFL's strangest storylines heading into training camp and a new national ranking just added another layer to the debate...
While ranking the NFL's best backup quarterbacks, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano, Tua Tagovailoa landed at third on his list, trailing only Joe Flacco of the Cincinnati Bengals and Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers.
"This could be Tagovailoa’s first time starting a season as a backup since his early years with the Dolphins, but he might get a chance to start for the Falcons if Michael Penix Jr. doesn’t make a speedy comeback from his torn ACL," Manzano wrote. "Also, Penix needs to show he’s made improvements from his rocky Year 2."
But here's the thing: Ranking Tua as the third best backup in the NFL means ranking him as a backup. And is that even the right definition? When team periods ran at OTAs, it's been Tua Tagovailoa and undrafted rookie Jack Strand running the offense. Not Penix. His focus has been on getting healthy.
Calling Tua Tagovailoa a backup QB is clearly the incorrect label
AJC beat writer Daniel Flick noted after two open OTA sessions that Tua has looked "a little sharper" and carries what he described as "a marginal edge" in the competition so far. Now Manzano acknowledged that: "There could be a quarterback battle brewing" in Atlanta.
But that's putting it mildly. The Falcons have a starting quarterback who is recovering from a torn ACL and needs to prove he improved on a rocky year 2 and an incoming veteran who is already working with the ones. Calling Tua a backup right now is more of a projection than a fact.
If you take the optimistic view on Penix's health, the ranking holds up fine. Flick observed that Penix looks "a lot further ahead" in his recovery than many expected, well ahead of what the typical torn ACL timeline looks like at this stage. If he's ready to go by training camp and wins the job outright, Tua slots in exactly where Manzano projected him, if not higher.
And as a backup, the appeal is obvious. To make matters better, the weapons in Atlanta are real. Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London.Â
The knock is the turnover rate. Manzano flagged 36 interceptions across Tua's last 42 games, a number that doesn't go away just because the uniform changed. That has to improve for any of this to work.
The Atlanta Falcons brought in Tua Tagovailoa as competition, not consolation. Stefanski and the new regime haven't handed anything to anyone. Flick made that clear: "This race is wide open."
Third-best backup in the league. First in line for a starting job if Michael Penix Jr. isn't ready. There's nothing about this situation that fits neatly into a single label.
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