Six months after Miami cut ties with him, Tua Tagovailoa is running out with the Falcons' first-team offense on Friday night. Stefanski confirmed Wednesday that Tagovailoa will start the preseason opener against the Broncos, giving Atlanta fans their first real look at the quarterback the front office brought in as a bridge, a mentor, and possibly more.
The move isn't a shock. Michael Penix Jr., the guy Atlanta actually spent a first-round pick on, is still working his way back from a torn ACL and isn't cleared for 11-on-11 team drills yet. Per ESPN, Penix said he feels like he 'can do just about anything except for take a hit' — which is a problem when the job in question involves getting hit for a living. Until he's fully game-ready, somebody has to run the show, and that somebody is Tua.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will start Friday night in the team's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. Story via @marcraimondi: https://t.co/wudeQVIWRC
Stefanski was careful with his wording, though. This is not a Week 1 announcement. 'We're not there to name a starter for Week 1,' he said. 'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.' Tagovailoa is expected to play roughly one series — about 10 plays — before Cooper Rush takes over and undrafted rookie Jack Strand closes it out, a preseason script that's more about evaluation than anointing anybody.
The backstory here is what makes it interesting. Tagovailoa's six-year run in Miami ended when the Dolphins released him this offseason as part of a regime change and a pivot toward a rebuild, and Atlanta scooped him up on a one-year, minimum-salary contract — with Miami still on the hook for the bulk of the $54 million he's guaranteed this season. It's about as low-risk a flier as a team can take on a former starting quarterback, and it doubles as insurance while Penix, a fellow lefty, finishes healing.
So Friday isn't really about Tua winning a job — it's about the Falcons buying time. Give Tagovailoa the reps, keep Penix on a careful track back from a season-ending injury, and let the quarterback competition Atlanta actually wanted to have this summer wait until Penix can take a hit again. For now, the vet gets the first drive against Denver, and everyone in Atlanta is watching to see how it looks.