Michael Penix Jr.’s Reaction to Tua Tagovailoa Being Named Falcons’ QB1

Tua Tagovailoa is set to start for the Falcons in their opening day fixture against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Michael Penix Jr.’s Reaction to Tua Tagovailoa Being Named Falcons’ QB1

Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

The Atlanta Falcons finally announced their starting quarterback for opening day against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kevin Stefanski is going with Tua Tagovailoa over Michael Penix Jr.

Veteran Cooper Rush will start on the bench while Penix continues his rehab. According to ESPN’s Falcons reporter Marc Raimondi, Penix believes he’s not ready to assume QB1 duties at the moment.

I’m not where I want to be right now.

Penix reportedly told Stefanski

Experts projected Penix to take his rightful place as the Falcons starter. The third-year athlete competed with Tagovailoa for the job at offseason camp. Tagovailoa held a slender edge as Penix recovered from an ACL injury he suffered last November.

Penix missed the preseason. Snaps were shared between Tagovailoa, Rush, and undrafted rookie Jack Strand. Tua had mixed-bag performances, raising questions about whether he’s ready to fill in as the Falcons starter. He threw 10 completions for 117 yards over two games.

Stefanski eventually went with the Pro Bowl signal-caller. This move and Penix’s confession only point to one conclusion. Penix is not 100%.

I want to be stronger. I want to be able to be out there and give my team 100%. And if I don’t feel I can do that, that’s not fair for this team. It’s not fair for the organization. I want to make sure whenever I am out there, I’m 100%.

Michael Penix told the media after Monday’s practice

The Falcons drafted Penix after he finished as the best passer in FBS football in 2023. He completed 363 passes for 4903 yards and threw 36 touchdowns for Washington in 2023.

In the following draft, the Falcons selected him 8th overall. Initially, Penix started as Kirk Cousins’ backup. Penix got his shot at glory after Cousins was benched midway through the year. Penix finished his rookie season with 61 completions for 775 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.

Penix stayed the Falcons’ starter in 2025. He played 9 games, completing 166 passes for 1982 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions (the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the league up to that point).

In week 11, the Falcons faced off against rivals the Carolina Panthers. During the game, Penix tore his ACL. He was placed on the season-ending injured reserve. Cousins played the remaining games.

Atlanta missed the playoffs. The owners made changes to the coaching department by appointing Kevin Stefanski as head coach. Cousins was released even though there were still a couple of years left on his contract.  

Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa had entered free agency after parting ways with the Miami Dolphins. Atlanta quickly signed the former Alabama star to a one-year deal. Penix continued his rehab.

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Rookie quarterback could still play time from Michael Penix as the Falcons starter

It’s unclear when Penix will be ready enough to start again for Atlanta. If he takes too much time, others will leave him behind.

Michael Penix Jr's Reaction to Tua Tagovailoa Being Named Falcons' QB1
Michael Penix Jr. (Image via IMAGO)

The Falcons may not be thrilled to see Tua as their starting quarterback, but he’s more than capable of making that job his. Then again, he also has a history of dealing with injuries. Over the last two seasons, Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions, which played a big part in derailing his Miami career.

Rush has never been a starter in the NFL. He contributed as a backup at both Dallas and Baltimore before arriving in Atlanta. This leaves UDFA rookie Jack Strand.

Strand played college football for Division 2 school Minnesota-Moorehead. Despite never playing first-class opponents in college, Strand stood out at rookie camp. He surprised the coaches in the offseason and made his mark in the preseason. Strand completed 24 of 36 passes for 305 yards, one touchdown, and one interception across three games.

Sure, preseason stats matter little in the long run. But his performance convinced the Falcons to make him their fourth quarterback. Not many teams do that. Grant Gordon of NFL.com predicted that Strand could start more than half of Atlanta’s games in 2026.

Atlanta will see Strand end the season with more starts than Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Strand will start more than half the campaign for Atlanta, showing some promise, but not enough to dissuade the Falcons from plucking a quarterback in the talent-rich 2027 NFL Draft.

Gordon wrote

Sure, there won’t be many expectations from Strand at first, but if he strings a couple of wins, the fanbase will soon stand behind him. As for Penix, the Falcons will have to decide whether to pay him next year. He undeniably has the higher ceiling, but football is as much a game of making money as winning championships. They don’t have to pay Strand until 2028. They can move on from Tua and possibly trade Penix for draft capital. But before that, the Falcons need to win games.  

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