The Atlanta Falcons made the bold decision to go out and get Tua Tagovailoa during the 2026 NFL free agency period. Now, Kevin Stefanski's team has two lefty quarterbacks, and even if Michael Penix Jr. is healthy, it remains a bit unclear who will start in Week 1 for the Dirty Birds.
Tagovailoa, for as high profile a signing as he was, hasn't said all that much since agreeing to cross state lines and play in Georgia. But he finally spoke with ESPN's Marc Raimondi, and he revealed that, of course, Matt Ryan was the biggest influence on him coming to Atlanta this offseason.
"We've talked outside of that with football, if I had any questions his room is always open for me to go up there."
Tua Tagovailoa was influenced by Matt Ryan to come to Atlanta
Ryan, a franchise legend, was named the Falcons' President of Football in part to lure big-name players to the organization. Tagovailoa is certainly a big name, but it remains to be seen exactly what kind of impact he'll have.
Atlanta also went out and signed Trevor Siemian to be another veteran mentor to Penix Jr., and based on Stefanski's history with the Cleveland Browns, it is feasible that all three signal-callers could be on the Week 1 roster.
But Stefanski and Co. have a lot to figure out before the Falcons open up the season, the first of which is Penix Jr.'s health. Tagovailoa has a lot of value as a spot starter, especially at his price point. But as a long-term starter, he hasn't shown enough to be relied upon.
RELATED: Tua Tagovailoa sounds ready to silence the doubters with first Falcons' comments
Penix Jr. has flashed plenty during his time in Atlanta, but the same concerns that surrounded him when Terry Fontenot took him No. 8 overall are the same concerns that surround him now, under an entirely different regime.
If Ryan had a key say in Tagovailoa coming to Atlanta, it stands to reason that the former Miami Dolphins starter has a chance to play a significant role. Ultimately, it is Stefanski and Ian Cunningham's show, but Ryan's role as somewhat of the director is not unimportant.
It will certainly be interesting to see how this situation plays out, but one thing is now for sure: Ryan had a hand in Tagovailoa coming to the Falcons, and the two have a rapport. Your guess is as good as mine for how that shakes out.