Tua Tagovailoa’s first real test as the Atlanta Falcons’ starter is here, and he’s treating it like exactly what it is: another shot he doesn’t intend to waste.
The Falcons announced Monday that Tagovailoa won the quarterback job over Michael Penix Jr. for Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the veteran made it clear Wednesday after practice that the moment means something to him.
“It’s a blessing once again,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s not something that I take for granted.”
Tagovailoa said he learned of the decision Monday before head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the rest of the team and the quarterback room. He also pointed to the bond he built with Penix and the other quarterbacks around him during the offseason as part of what made the situation manageable.
“Unfortunately, there’s only one person that can do that at our position,” Tagovailoa said. “Needless to say, I have a great relationship with MP. I have a great relationship with Cooper, a great relationship with Jack.”
Even with the starting job in hand, Tagovailoa isn’t framing Sunday as a chance to answer doubters. His focus is narrower than that.
“I don’t think I, for myself, in what I believe, I don’t have anything to prove to anyone else, but it’s to prove to my own self that I can continue to play at a high level,” Tagovailoa said.
That mindset comes after a long look back at his own play, including his time with the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa said Wednesday that he saw plenty he could have handled better.
“There’s a lot of things I think I could have done better - turning the ball over, could have played better, my decision making,” Tagovailoa said. “From prior years in terms of last year, just wasn’t good.”
The Steelers are next, and Tagovailoa expects Pittsburgh’s defense to test Atlanta where it matters most.
“I’d say their front seven,” Tagovailoa said when asked what stands out about Pittsburgh.
He isn’t chasing a shiny individual stat line in his first game running the Falcons’ offense. For him, the standard is simple.
“The expectations I put on myself every time is to go out there and score one more point than the opposing team,” Tagovailoa said.
And that leaves him with the same job every quarterback gets in Week 1: prepare, execute, and do enough to help his team win.
“What I can control is how I prepare, how I go out there, how I play, how I perform,” Tagovailoa said. “And that’s all I can do.”
On Sunday in Pittsburgh, that opportunity becomes real.
In Other News...
Falcons Injury Report Puts Several Week 1 Roles In Doubt
Michael Penix Jr. was a full participant in practice this week even as a knee injury has already ruled him out for the Falcons Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The encouraging sign for Atlanta is that no one missed practice entirely, but the injury report still gave the coaching staff plenty to sort through as the opener approaches.
Billy Bowman Jr. was limited by an Achilles injury but remains hopeful he can suit up, while Brandon Dorlus, ZaDarius Smith, Zachariah Branch and Kyle Hinton were also on the report in limited fashion for various reasons. For a team trying to get its first-game rotations settled, that leaves a few roles in the secondary and elsewhere hanging in the balance right up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Have A Tua Concern They Cant Ignore
Tua Tagovailoas first days as the Falcons newly named starter already have a little extra weight to them, and Thursdays practice session added an unexpected layer. Tagovailoa appeared to be in discomfort and briefly went to the ground during the workout, a sight that immediately put the focus back on the back issue that bothered him during training camp. He did not throw again during the media portion of practice, and the team is set to update his status in its next injury report.
For Atlanta, the timing is the part that matters most. Tagovailoa was just handed the starting job, with Cooper Rush and rookie Jack Strand behind him on the depth chart, so any health concern around him lands differently than it would in midseason. The Falcons now have to sort out whether this was a brief practice scare or something more significant, and the answer should come soon enough when the injury report gives a clearer picture. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookie Is Already Turning One Veteran Spot Into A Real Battle
The Falcons Week 1 depth chart brought one of camps clearest developments into focus, with rookie Kendal Daniels listed as the starting second linebacker next to Divine Deablo. Daniels had been gaining ground all summer, stacking up first-team reps in training camp and the preseason while making a strong enough impression to push veteran Christian Harris down the board. For a team that has talked all offseason about earning roles rather than inheriting them, it was a notable nod to how far the rookie has come in a short time.
Christian Harris still gives Atlanta a seasoned option at a spot that rarely stays settled for long, but the early indication is that the coaching staff is willing to trust what it sees over experience or previous investment. Daniels rise has turned what looked like a straightforward veteran role into a real competition, and the Falcons now have at least one lineup decision that says as much about the teams standards as it does about the player who forced the issue. [Read more 🡒]