Tua Tagovailoa is making the Falcons’ quarterback decision look more and more settled with every practice rep.
What was already trending toward a Week 1 answer is now feeling even more one-sided, largely because Michael Penix Jr. still hasn’t been cleared for full contact. But Tagovailoa is also doing his part by stacking together his best work of the summer once he got past a lingering back issue.
According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Saturday night’s “Saturday Night Lights” practice at Lanier High School in Sugar Hill was Tagovailoa’s sharpest session yet. Raimondi wrote, “Tua Tagovailoa had his best practice of camp thus far, going 6-of-8 in 11s.” He added, “Tagovailoa’s best throws of camp came Saturday night, a 30-yard layered ball to WR Olamide Zaccheaus and a play-action rollout pass to WR Drake London that went for chunk yardage.”
That was only part of the story. Raimondi also reported that Tagovailoa connected on red-zone touchdowns to Jahan Dotson and Drake London, and he delivered what was described as one of the best passes of the summer - his first major highlight play since joining the Falcons in free agency.
The throw that stood out came on a deep crosser to Olamide Zaccheaus, a ball that traveled about 30 air yards and gave Zaccheaus room to add more after the catch. For a quarterback coming off the worst season of his career, that kind of layering on the ball matters. It showed a version of Tagovailoa that looked far closer to the player Atlanta expected when it brought him in.
The Falcons even highlighted the play on social media, posting: “Rollin' deep to OZ! pic.twitter.com/VMo8qKia4d”
By the end of the night, the picture was pretty clear. Tagovailoa looked healthier than he has all summer, first-team work in 11-on-11s produced multiple chunk gains, and he’s reportedly been especially sharp in the red zone. With Penix still not available for full work, the quarterback battle has stopped feeling like much of a battle at all.
Tagovailoa’s hold on the job was already strong given the circumstances. Now that he’s back near full health and throwing it well, the gap is only growing wider.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Face A James Pearce Jr. Problem They Feared
James Pearce Jr. has spent most of camp working with the Falcons third team, a reminder that his role has already been in flux before the real questions around his status arrive. The first-round pick played in all 17 games last season, but Atlanta has been bracing for a much different kind of update as roster cutdowns approach, one that could force the team to rethink how it plans to open the year.
The uncertainty around Pearce now centers on discipline that has been hanging over camp, with the Falcons preparing for a suspension announcement before the roster deadline. For a team that drafted him to be part of its future up front, the timing could not be much worse, and the length of the absence would leave Atlanta sorting through a depth chart issue it hoped to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Is Already Forcing A Tough Falcons Decision
Michael Penix Jr. is already at the center of one of the Falcons biggest offseason questions, and it has less to do with upside than availability. Atlanta is sorting through its quarterback options under a new coaching staff, while fans remain split on what Penix can become and how quickly he can be trusted to lead the offense. The comparisons to other first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 draft only sharpen the scrutiny, because the Falcons are not just weighing talent here - they are weighing timelines.
The health piece makes the decision even murkier, and it helps explain why the organization has been forced to keep its options open. Penixs performance has given Atlanta enough reason to believe in the long view, but the uncertainty around his readiness has created a real test for the teams planning and patience. For a franchise trying to settle its future under a fresh regime, the quarterback conversation is already becoming a referendum on how much risk it can afford to take. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Needed This Divine Deablo Injury Update More Than Ever
The Falcons had a scare at practice when linebacker Divine Deablo went down after an apparent ankle injury and had to stop scrimmaging. It was the kind of moment that can tighten a training camp sideline fast, especially for a defense that needs to keep building chemistry and getting a feel for how its new pieces fit together.
Kevin Stefanski later said Deablo was rolled up on, and the early concern eased once imaging and testing were done. Hell miss the next practice as a precaution, but the expectation is that this is not a long-term issue, which is about as good a result as Atlanta could have hoped for after the initial injury. [Read more 🡒]