The Atlanta Falcons haven’t even played their first regular-season game with Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback, and there is already a report about how quickly his time with the team could end.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio said before the Seattle Seahawks-New England Patriots opener Wednesday that Atlanta could follow the same path the Miami Dolphins did if Tagovailoa struggles badly enough to lose the job.
“If it doesn’t go well for Tua and he gets benched again, I’m told there is a strong possibility the Falcons will do what the Dolphins did and cut Tua Tagovailoa,” Florio said.
That’s quite the report to surface just four days before Tagovailoa is scheduled to start Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Falcons Could Make Quick Tua Tagovailoa Decision
Atlanta named Tagovailoa its starter Monday after an offseason-long quarterback competition complicated by Michael Penix Jr.’s recovery from a torn ACL.
Cooper Rush will back up Tagovailoa against Pittsburgh, while Penix will be inactive. It’s worth noting that head coach Kevin Stefanski also declined to commit to a starter beyond Week 1.
That already made Tagovailoa’s hold on the job feel temporary. Florio’s report raises the stakes considerably higher.
It also came only hours after Tagovailoa publicly embraced getting another opportunity to start.
“It’s very refreshing. It’s a blessing. That’s the best way I can describe the position I’m in,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
More Falcons On Heavy: Falcons’ Tua Tagovailoa Gets Candid on Week 1 QB1 Job vs. Steelers
Tagovailoa said he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone else, but wants to prove to himself that he can still play at an elite level.
Michael Penix Jr. Return Keeps Falcons QB Situation Uncertain
The biggest variable in Tagovailoa’s future may be how quickly Michael Penix Jr. becomes a realistic option again.
Penix will be inactive against Pittsburgh, but that doesn’t mean he is far away from returning. The former first-round pick said Monday that he is “really close” to being 100% after recovering from the ACL tear he suffered last November.
He was also listed as a full participant on Atlanta’s first injury report of the regular season Wednesday.
That leaves the Falcons in an unusual position. Tagovailoa won the Week 1 job, but that seemed more or less by default.
Penix’s continued progress only adds to that uncertainty.
Once Penix is fully cleared and available, the situation will likely change, especially if the Falcons aren’t posting in the win column.
Bleacher Report’s James Palmer reported that Tagovailoa’s starting opportunity was a combination of the veteran outright winning the job and Penix’s injury status, depending on the source.
“There are definitely people that have said he’s done enough for Week 1,” Palmer said. “It’s not been as bad as some of the reports that have been out there.”
Palmer said the Falcons have asked Tagovailoa to do some things he’s never done before in his career, but have since tailored to his strengths, seeing improvement.
It was Stefanski’s lack of commitment to Tagovailoa past Week 1 that pointed to Penix’s inability to return as the reason for the former Miami quarterback earning the job.
“Because there’s also people there that do believe he should have taken the bull by the horns,” Palmer continued. “He should have really taken ownership with this job and ran with it. And they didn’t see that happen during training camp.”
Falcons Already Looking to Follow Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Plan: Report