Tua Tagovailoa is approaching his first preseason game as the presumed face of the Atlanta Falcons offense, but his status for Friday night remains unsettled.
The Falcons open the preseason Aug. 14 against the Buffalo Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Tagovailoa said after Tuesday’s practice that he’s ready to go with whatever the team asks.
“Whatever is asked of me, whatever’s asked of the guys,” Tagovailoa told reporters after practice on Tuesday, Aug. 11. “I think that’s what we’re going to go with, whatever Stefanski has.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has already laid out a general plan during camp. He wants starters on the field for the first preseason game against Buffalo and again for the Aug. 28 finale against the Miami Dolphins, while the Aug. 22 trip to the Indianapolis Colts is expected to be a lighter outing for the first group, with most of the work coming in the joint practices.
A decision on Tagovailoa could come Wednesday, when Stefanski said he expects to firm up the preseason plan.
“I’ll let you guys know I think, Wednesday when we talk what the plan is for the preseason games,” the head coach said. “I want to obviously sit down with the coaches and Ian and Matt, and talk through the plan, and finalize that, share it with the players, and then I’ll share it with you guys.”
For Tagovailoa, the preseason matters in more than one way. It could help him build an edge in the ongoing quarterback battle with Michael Penix Jr.
Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphin and seventh-year NFL veteran, has taken most of the 11-on-11 snaps. Penix has handled most of the 7-on-7 work because he has not been cleared for 11-on-11 as he continues to recover from a left ACL tear.
Atlanta still has not set a timetable for naming its starter.
“Preseason plays a big role for your team collectively,” Tagovailoa said. “You don’t have the coaches out there.
You’ve got to go out there, make the calls, whether it’s right or wrong, you’ve got to live with them. And from there, you come in the next day, watch film, talk about it, and go from there.”
Tagovailoa’s camp has picked up after a back tightness flare-up kept him out of the opening day of training camp. In the days since, he has stood out with his field vision and his knack for taking advantage of defensive mistakes.
Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said the progress has been steady.
“He’s getting better every day,” said Falcons quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. “I think he’s getting more comfortable with the system, the play calls, and the protection adjustments.
It’s tough always coming into a new system. So, picking that up, missing the first part of camp, set him back just a little bit.
But the last three or four days, he’s really come on.”
The Falcons-Broncos preseason opener begins in Atlanta at 7 p.m. It will air locally on Fox 5 Atlanta, the ESPN app with an unlimited plan, or NFL+.
In Other News...
Kirk Cousins Adds Another Awkward Twist To His Post-Falcons Story
Kirk Cousins is barely out of Atlanta and already finding a new subplot in Las Vegas. At a Raiders training camp practice, the veteran quarterback got into a minor dustup with edge rusher Maxx Crosby, a moment that drew in coaches and teammates before it was calmed down. It was the kind of brief camp flare-up that usually fades quickly, but it added another odd note to Cousins transition after his release from the Falcons.
The bigger picture for Cousins is supposed to be a quieter one, with the Raiders expecting him to help mentor rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza this season. Instead, the exchange with Crosby gave his new stop an awkward early wrinkle, and it prompted head coach Klint Kubiak to keep both players out of the next practice as discipline. For Atlanta fans still tracking Cousins post-Falcons path, it was another reminder that his next chapter is already arriving with some unexpected noise. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Stefanski Is Already Changing The Falcons Culture
The Falcons are getting a different kind of training camp under Kevin Stefanski, and the early message has been about pace, contact and preparation. The new head coach has brought in more physically demanding practices, including live tackling periods, which is a noticeable shift from what players saw under Raheem Morris and Arthur Smith.
Stefanski is also expected to play starters in select preseason games, but with a controlled approach to their reps, another sign he wants the roster sharper when the games count. It is the kind of camp adjustment that can alter the tone of a building quickly, and it will be worth watching how the team responds as the preseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Have A James Pearce Jr. Problem To Open The Season
The early-season picture around Atlanta got a little murkier after Adam Schefter said on his podcast that several NFL players, including Falcons outside linebacker James Pearce Jr., are among the cases under review for possible discipline before the season begins. Schefter grouped Pearce Jr. with players such as Puka Nacua, Josh Jacobs, Jonathon Cooper, Alaric Jackson and Tyreek Hill, noting that more clarity is expected by the time the regular season arrives.
For the Falcons, the concern is less about whether the situation will linger and more about how long it might last once the league makes its call. Atlanta is reportedly bracing for a significant absence for Pearce Jr., and the uncertainty around the final ruling leaves the team planning for life without a player it expected to count on right away. [Read more 🡒]