The Atlanta Falcons appeared to give Tua Tagovailoa a wide-open runway to the starting quarterback job this summer. Michael Penix Jr. spent most of the offseason recovering from a torn ACL, while Tagovailoa arrived with six years of starting experience.
Yet with Atlanta’s regular-season opener approaching, the competition remains unresolved. NFL Network chief national reporter Steve Wyche believes that says plenty about how the Falcons view Tagovailoa’s performance so far.
Steve Wyche Questions Why Tua Tagovailoa Hasn’t Seized QB1 Job
During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” Wyche called it “amazing” that Tagovailoa had not already taken control of the competition while Penix was unavailable for full-team work.
“This should not be a competition,” Wyche said. “This is a former starter who got paid a big contract in Tua Tagovailoa.”
Wyche stressed that he was offering his perspective rather than reporting that the coaching staff has privately decided against Tagovailoa. Still, he viewed the lack of a public decision as meaningful.
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“He should have come in and seized this, and the fact that we are less than three weeks out from the Week 1 game, and they have not come to a decision yet, or at least publicly not come to a decision yet, lets you know that they have not seen enough out of Tua to make them say, he is the starter,” Wych added. “I won’t say doubts, but they’ve got some trepidation about naming Tua the starter at this point.”
Wyche also pointed to the trust of the other 10 players in the huddle, arguing that teammates need confidence that their quarterback will make the correct decision and deliver the football. He added that Penix possesses superior arm talent and athleticism in his view, while acknowledging the first-round pick’s durability concerns.
Penix’s health is no longer keeping him out of the competition. The Falcons cleared him for 11-on-11 work on Aug. 22 after his November ACL surgery, and he split first-team reps with Tagovailoa when he returned Monday.
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Tagovailoa had the earlier opportunity to create separation. He started Atlanta’s preseason opener against Denver but completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards in a 27-7 loss.
The numbers from last season also leave little separation. Penix posted a 72.8 PFN QB Impact score, ranking No. 26, while Tagovailoa finished at 72.1 and No. 28 after throwing for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions with Miami.
Falcons Still Have Not Named Their Week 1 Starter
The Falcons have announced Tagovailoa as their starter for the final preseason game against the Dolphins, as Penix isn’t fully ready yet.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said Tuesday that coaches have been evaluating the quarterbacks on “a bit of a slope” because Penix only recently returned to full-team periods. Rees said there is more “hard evidence” from Tagovailoa’s work but emphasized that the staff is trying to reach a fair evaluation of both.
The Falcons open the regular season Sept. 13 at Pittsburgh, leaving Kevin Stefanski and his staff limited time to settle the position.
Wyche’s “trepidation” comment should not be mistaken for an official admission from Atlanta. The more concrete development may be just as notable: after Penix spent nearly the entire offseason rehabbing, the Falcons still have not handed the job to Tagovailoa.
