All offseason long, people have questioned why the Atlanta Falcons chose to sign Tua Tagovailoa. From their perspective it makes sense. A former Pro Bowl QB on a league minimum contract to push Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job, but what exactly does Tagovailoa get out of joining the Falcons?
It's clear he still has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in this league, but he chose to sign for $1.3 million and compete with Penix for the QB1 spot. You could probably say he took the most difficult road to re-establishing himself as an NFL starter, but it may become the most rewarding.
During the Falcons' second open practice session of OTAs, the 28-year-old was asked the burning question on everyone's mind and what he hopes to get out of his time in Atlanta. While addressing the media, he kept his answer short and sweet: he wanted to compete and he needed a fresh start.
"I think the opportunity to come here to be able to compete with MP, to be able to compete with Trev, whoever is in the room, and for a fresh start," Tagovailoa said. "It's really what it was."
Tua Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons because competition doesn't faze him
There's no beating around the bush here. The end of his time with the Miami Dolphins was an absolute nightmare. He had no offensive line, Tyreek Hill got injured, and Mike McDaniel was already mentally checked out. So of course he struggled, and of course he was benched for Quinn Ewers.
Yeah, Tua needed a fresh start, and Atlanta offers the perfect place for that. But under Kevin Stefanski, nothing is guaranteed: everything has to be earned. He'll be working with a new regime that is betting on him just as much as he's betting on them, and finding the right spot to start matters more than pursuing any starting job. Like this guy wouldn't be better off with the Jets or Browns.
The Alabama product is well aware that things will be better for him with the Dirty Birds, even if he doesn't win the QB1 job. He has much better weapons (Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Zachariah Branch), a better offensive line, and is playing in a system more catered to his strengths.
It says a lot about Tua's humility to not only want to sign for the league minimum, but to willingly sign with a team where his starting job isn't guaranteed. We know that competition breeds excellence but being willing to mentor the guy who could steal your starting job away from you is a very classy move.
Even if the 2020 first-round pick doesn't win the job, odds are he will start games at some point this season, but he's also the ultimate teammate. He doesn't mind mentoring younger guys in the QB room like Penix and Jack Strand, and wants to see the Falcons compete regardless of if he's the guy.
Tagovailoa is a rare breed in the modern NFL. His ego isn't clouding his judgement, so while he wants (and is talented enough to) prove he's a starter-worthy QB, more than anything he proved his presence in a QB room is valuable, whether he or Penix starts (though he's the early favorite), he'll turn his career around.
Add us as a preferred source on Google