An injury to Michael Penix Jr. derailed the season completely for the Atlanta Falcons. Now, with his return still distant, new head coach Kevin Stefanski has chosen to move forward with veteran quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whom they signed in free agency.
Unfortunately, opinions have quickly soured on him, with his training camp performances leaving a lot to be desired. As a result, some of his most ardent supporters are also coming to terms with his current standing in the league.
Tua Tagovailoa Isn’t a Needle-Mover Anymore
A first-round pick for the Miami Dolphins, Tagovailoa showed some incredible promise. Leading the league in passer rating and passing yards in separate seasons, he was named to a Pro Bowl and signed a four-year extension worth $212.4 million.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career, leading the Dolphins to release him this offseason, before the Falcons picked him up. Last season, playing in 14 games, he threw for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns while giving up 15 interceptions.
As a result, he ranked at number 28 in PFN’s QB Impact Metrics, but hope remained that a new system could allow him to regain his form. However, the clips out of training camp, particularly from their joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts, haven’t inspired a ton of confidence.
As a result, on the latest episode of his ‘Say What Needs To Be Said’ podcast, Asante Samuel confessed that he can’t see a scenario where the Hawaiian quarterback could be a success in Atlanta after predicting that they could win the NFC South earlier in the year.
“I was thinking Tua Tagovailoa could execute in Kevin Stefanski’s offense a little better than Dillon Gabriel did, which led me to believe this would be a good fit. I was horribly wrong. After what we saw from Tua’s first preseason game with the Falcons, Tua is done.”
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In that game, the former Alabama product looked out of sorts throughout the night. Completing just three of five passing attempts for 22 yards, he was ineffective against the Denver Broncos. The practice videos painted him in an even worse light.
Asante Blast Tua Tagovailoa About His Arm Strength, Kevin Stefanski & Tua Is A Bad Combination pic.twitter.com/2qNl4Ws7OR
— Say What Needs To Be Said (@saywhatneedsto) August 21, 2026
“There is no hope for Tua Tagovailoa. There are two people I’ve been critical of: Kevin Stefanski and Tua Tagovailoa. This player combination is as bad as it gets, guys.”
From predicting a divisional win, the two-time Super Bowl champion has made a complete U-turn about Atlanta’s chances.
“The bad coach and the weaker Tua Tagovailoa arm, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin Stefanski and the team were struggling to get a victory by Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.”
It remains to be seen how the Falcons progress over the course of the season. But as Week 1 inches closer, the faith in the team is steadily going down.
