The Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their starting quarterback, ESPN reports. He beat out Michael Penix Jr. in a stop-and-start, injury-impacted quarterback battle and will make his official Atlanta debut Sunday against the Steelers.
Tagovailoa will be Atlanta's sixth consecutive different Week 1 starting quarterback.
The Dolphins released Tagovailoa, 28, last year, and he subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Falcons. Expected to go head-to-head with Penix for the starting nod, he essentially won the job de facto. Penix, recovering from yet another knee injury, wasn't able to participate in full-team drills until after the team's second preseason game, and he did not play in the third preseason game either.
Tagovailoa, on the other hand, had almost a full training camp and played in two preseason games, though the results were mixed at best. He struggled mightily in Week 1 of the preseason, did not play in Week 2 and then looked better in Week 3 -- though that game was against the Dolphins' backups. He had trouble handling snaps in both appearances, an issue that sometimes plagued him in Miami as well. Overall, he went 10-for-13 for 117 yards across the two cameos.
Tagovailoa reached some impressive highs -- a top-10 MVP finish in 2022 and a Pro Bowl and passing yards crown in 2023 -- in Miami, but he struggled last season, throwing 15 interceptions and eventually getting benched. With the Dolphins undergoing a major rebuild, they moved on from Tagovailoa despite record cap penalties.
He'll now hope to resurrect his career surrounded by superstar running back Bijan Robinson, standout wide receiver Drake London and a solid offensive line. Health will be a key, as he has played all 17 games just once in his career, but for now, he'll get the first shot to prove he can be the answer to Atlanta's quarterback woes.
