Tua Tagovailoa has his work cut out for him. The 28-year-old will compete against Michael Penix Jr. for the starting quarterback role this year. However, the latter has not yet received full clearance, as he continues to recover from last season’s season-ending knee injury and subsequent surgery. Even though Tagovailoa has been handling all of the first-team 11-on-11 action, an NFL analyst has identified one issue that could prevent the Hawaii native from becoming QB1.
Tua Tagovailoa Is All Set to Take the Starting Job
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski will have a big decision to make. He recently indicated that Penix could get the green light for team drills during this week’s minicamp. If that happens, the competition for the QB1 spot will heat up, with both left-handed quarterbacks battling for the position. However, ESPN’s Louis Riddick believes Tagovailoa is the favorite.
The NFL analyst candidly said, “I’m putting my money on him [Tagovailoa] winning this job. If he can stay healthy, all things being equal, I think he’s the better fit for the offense that Kevin ideally would like to run.”
If [Tua Tagovailoa] can stay healthy, all things being equal, I think he’s the better fit for the offense.”
—@LRiddickESPN on the Falcons’ starting quarterback battle 🏈 pic.twitter.com/3IauXidkYt
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 17, 2026
Staying injury-free is the concern. Both quarterbacks have extensive injury histories dating back to their college days. Tagovailoa missed two games in 2024 because of a hip injury after the Week 16 game and has suffered several concussions in the past. He has also undergone procedures on both ankles and has sustained fractures to his finger, pelvis, and ribs.
However, Tagovailoa has bounced back from every setback impressively. He recorded a league-high 4,624 passing yards in 2023 and posted an NFL-best 72.9% completion rate in 2024. While his numbers dipped last season, Riddick believes he is exactly the type of quarterback Stefanski is looking for.
Riddick said, “If you think about how Kevin would like to run this offense, with a big emphasis on the play-action passing game and getting the ball to the all-world running back already on the roster, that’s something that’s just going to help Tua.”
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Having spent six years in the NFL, Tagovailoa also has significantly more experience than Penix at the highest level. The 28-year-old outperformed Penix in nearly every metric last season, prompting 92.9 The Game’s Carl Dukes to back the former Miami Dolphins quarterback.
“Tua [Tagovailoa] has been the better quarterback,” Dukes said. “I can’t tell you what Michael Penix [Jr.] is going to do once camp starts or through the preseason. What I can tell you is that the body of work, and it’s a little unfair because Penix has only started 12 games, is not even close. Tua has been a starter in this league. He’s already gotten his first bag.”
Ultimately, it may come down to whether Tagovailoa can stay healthy and cement his place as QB1. It is difficult to see Stefanski choosing Penix under any other circumstances, especially considering that the 26-year-old is still recovering from a long-term injury.
