Not often do you see a $1.3 million deal stealing the headlines on Day 1 of the legal tampering period, but that is the case for the Atlanta Falcons. Tua Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphins first-round pick, signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal to take his talents to Atlanta.
Questions surrounding Michael Penix Jr. have already sparked debate about whether the newcomer will be the new starter. Well, former Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan thinks he's on track to be the starting quarterback, or at least he'll receive an opportunity to compete with Penix in camp to start.
As Ryan said on CBS Sports HQ, this is truly a no-lose situation for Kevin Stefanski's club. You are paying a former Pro Bowler the league minimum for one season. No commitment and all the upside.
Tua Tagovailoa to the Atlanta Falcons is the best decision for all involved parties
By no means are the Falcons giving up on Michael Penix Jr. He still brings tremendous upside to the most important position in sports. However, no one can ignore his injury history after he suffered his third torn ACL last season.
Tagovailoa will get a head start with Stefanski as last year's opening-day starter continues to rehab that injury. That could be enough for the former Alabama prodigy to steal the starting spot.
And if you don't believe he is good enough to start, listen to the former Super Bowl winner again; he called him a "starting-quality quarterback."
For all the hate Tua has received, it is easy to forget about his 44-32 career record with 1,647 completions, 18,166 yards, and 120 touchdowns. Perhaps most intriguing is his 68% completion percentage.
His 2023 Pro Bowl season was especially impressive: 11-6 record, 388 completions, 69.3% completion rate, 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 picks. The completion percentage is what fans should focus on. Penix is not and never will be an accurate passer. He's at 59.6% through 14 games.
Now, he does bring upside that Tua doesn't. The 25-year-old can rocket passes deep down the field and is a gunslinger. Tua doesn't have an elite arm but rather relies on efficiency.
Ryan's idea that the new Falcons quarterback will land the starting gig will come down to when Penix Jr. returns to the field and whether Stefanski values efficiency or big-play ball.
From a broader scope, the low-risk signing made too much sense not to happen. CBS Sports mentioned how having two left-handed quarterbacks eliminates any worries of adjusting on the fly.
We saw the receivers struggle with drops when Penix Jr. took over as a rookie. They are now all in on practicing with left-handed spin. This has been the best possible start to a pivotal offseason in Atlanta.