📂 Categoría: NFL,Atlanta Falcons,Miami Dolphins | 📅 Fecha: 1782035406
🔍 En este artículo:
Eyebrows were raised when the Atlanta Falcons decided to sign Tua Tagovailoa for a good old fashioned quarterback battle.
The former franchise signal caller, who played on a $212.4 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, is looking for a career reset in 2026.
Injuries and inconsistency derailed his last couple of seasons in South Beach, where he was benched for the final three games of the 2025 campaign.
Such a move signaled that the Dolphins were ready to move on, and he was released in March for a record cap hit.
Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons a few days later, and has spent this spring competing with fellow lefty Michael Penix Jr. for the starting role in new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
It’s fair to say some fans weren’t excited about the idea of Tua under center in 2026.
After all, last season’s stats make for grim reading. Tagovailoa led the NFL with 15 interceptions at the time of his benching in Week 16, and his total QBR ranked among the worst in the league.
Many in Atlanta were also keen to see the injury-hit Penix get a real crack at the starting role this season, given he’s a former first-round pick (No. 8 overall).
But with offseason practice in the books, it seems the Falcons’ gamble has paid off.
Tua Tagovailoa repaying Falcons faith as battle lines drawn
“Tua Tagovailoa had arguably one of his best practices of the spring Wednesday — the Falcons’ final day of minicamp,” Marc Raimondi wrote for ESPN this week.
“In an 11-on-11 team session in the red zone, the quarterback went 3-for-3 with a touchdown pass over the middle to running back Bijan Robinson.
“He also had completions during that series to rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch and free agent acquisition Jahan Dotson.”
While Falcons coaches have stressed that their quarterback battle is yet to officially begin — given Penix is still recovering from a torn ACL — Tua appears to be in the driving seat.
Such has been his impact, that FanSided writer Wynston Wilcox believes the next few months could be ‘make or break’ for Penix in Atlanta.
“Michael Penix Jr. is in a quarterback battle after being the starter for much of the 2025 season,” Wilcox wrote in a piece ranking 10 players that will need to put everything on the line this season.
“His situation is a bit different, though, in the sense that he’s coming off yet another torn ACL.
“Tua Tagovailoa isn’t just short-term insurance for Atlanta — if he plays well, the Falcons have no reason to extend Penix and can find a trade partner for him.”
Some, perhaps, are prematurely calling the Falcons QB battle for Tagovailoa — especially given Coach Stefanski has insisted the team won’t be ‘giving out any jobs’ in June.
But right now, it looks to be Tua’s spot to lose.
Stay up to date on all things NFL across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.
Eyebrows were raised when the Atlanta Falcons decided to sign Tua Tagovailoa for a good old fashioned quarterback battle.
The former franchise signal caller, who played on a $212.4 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, is looking for a career reset in 2026.
Injuries and inconsistency derailed his last couple of seasons in South Beach, where he was benched for the final three games of the 2025 campaign.
Such a move signaled that the Dolphins were ready to move on, and he was released in March for a record cap hit.
Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons a few days later, and has spent this spring competing with fellow lefty Michael Penix Jr. for the starting role in new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
It’s fair to say some fans weren’t excited about the idea of Tua under center in 2026.
After all, last season’s stats make for grim reading. Tagovailoa led the NFL with 15 interceptions at the time of his benching in Week 16, and his total QBR ranked among the worst in the league.
Many in Atlanta were also keen to see the injury-hit Penix get a real crack at the starting role this season, given he’s a former first-round pick (No. 8 overall).
But with offseason practice in the books, it seems the Falcons’ gamble has paid off.
Tua Tagovailoa repaying Falcons faith as battle lines drawn
“Tua Tagovailoa had arguably one of his best practices of the spring Wednesday — the Falcons’ final day of minicamp,” Marc Raimondi wrote for ESPN this week.
“In an 11-on-11 team session in the red zone, the quarterback went 3-for-3 with a touchdown pass over the middle to running back Bijan Robinson.
“He also had completions during that series to rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch and free agent acquisition Jahan Dotson.”
While Falcons coaches have stressed that their quarterback battle is yet to officially begin — given Penix is still recovering from a torn ACL — Tua appears to be in the driving seat.
Such has been his impact, that FanSided writer Wynston Wilcox believes the next few months could be ‘make or break’ for Penix in Atlanta.
“Michael Penix Jr. is in a quarterback battle after being the starter for much of the 2025 season,” Wilcox wrote in a piece ranking 10 players that will need to put everything on the line this season.
“His situation is a bit different, though, in the sense that he’s coming off yet another torn ACL.
“Tua Tagovailoa isn’t just short-term insurance for Atlanta — if he plays well, the Falcons have no reason to extend Penix and can find a trade partner for him.”
Some, perhaps, are prematurely calling the Falcons QB battle for Tagovailoa — especially given Coach Stefanski has insisted the team won’t be ‘giving out any jobs’ in June.
But right now, it looks to be Tua’s spot to lose.
Stay up to date on all things NFL across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.
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- Este artículo cubre aspectos importantes sobre NFL,Atlanta Falcons,Miami Dolphins
- Información verificada y traducida de fuente confiable
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📚 Información de la Fuente
| 📰 Publicación: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | Oliver Browning |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-06-21 09:00:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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