The Atlanta Falcons are one of several teams across the NFL that appear set to have a quarterback battle on their hands during training camp. While Kirk Cousins is no longer in town, the Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa in free agency to come in and compete for the starting job with Michael Penix Jr.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Penix is still recovering from a partially torn ACL and MCL, which has given Tagovailoa the early lead when it comes to the team’s Week 1 starter. However, even beyond Penix’s injury situation, one NFL insider revealed the key reason Tagovailoa should currently be considered the frontrunner to end up winning Atlanta’s starting quarterback job.
Why Tua Tagovailoa Has a Leg Up Over Michael Penix Jr.
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Atlanta turned the starting quarterback job over to Penix in 2025, but the results weren’t all that encouraging. While Penix showed flashes of his potential, his final numbers through nine games are relatively mediocre (166/276, 1,982 YDS, 9 TD, 3 INT). Now, he’s recovering from another serious injury, which led the Falcons to swap out Cousins for Tagovailoa this offseason.
A former first-round pick himself, Atlanta is hoping it can build Tagovailoa back up after he endured a disastrous collapse with the Miami Dolphins. Just two years after leading the league in passing yards and earning a Pro Bowl selection, Tagovailoa was borderline unplayable for Miami last year (260/384, 2,660 YDS, 20 TD, 15 INT), and he ended up getting benched in favor of seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers late in the season.
Whether or not Penix will even be ready to play by Week 1 is unknown, so for now, it seems like Tagovailoa has to be the favorite to start for the team to begin the season. However, according to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he believes that Tagovailoa’s accuracy gives him the inside track to earn the starting job over Penix, regardless of his injury status.
“Where Tua has an advantage is in accuracy,” Fowler said on “NFL Live.” “Head coach Kevin Stefanski has said many times before, but even recently in Atlanta, that accuracy is the number one important thing in his offense. Tua has that, and he has the backing of Matt Ryan and Stefanski.”
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GettyTua Tagovailoa may have the early leg up on Michael Penix Jr. in the Falcons’ quarterback competition
It’s tough to make too much of what we have seen from these guys during OTAs, especially since Penix hasn’t even been cleared to participate in 11-on-11 drills yet. Still, both of these guys have a track record in the NFL, and based on what both guys have shown and what Stefanski is known to value from his quarterbacks, it seems reasonable to say that Tagovailoa is leading the pack currently.
Atlanta isn’t going to give up on Penix, but with the NFC South being wide open, it wants to do what it can to win as many games as possible. Finding out which of his two quarterbacks is best suited for that job is Stefanski’s first big decision since taking over as the Falcons’ new head coach, and while Tagovailoa may be ahead for now, this battle seems set to rage on into training camp.
Insider Shares Update on Falcons QB Battle Between Tua Tagovailoa & Michael Penix Jr.