NFL analyst predicts winner of Falcons QB competition
· Yahoo Sports
Before the 2026 NFL season begins the Atlanta Falcons have some work to do. Beyond the usual trimming of the roster from 90 players to 53, the Falcons have to decide on potential contract extensions for Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. They also have to figure out who will be starting at quarterback come Week 1 in Pittsburgh.
Michael Penix Jr. remains at the top of the team's depth chart at QB. However, a growing chorus of analysts are expecting Tua Tagovailoa to win the quarterback competition and wind up starting for the Falcons.
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The latest comes from Gary Davenport at Bleacher Report, who is picking Tua over Penix on the strength of the high potential he's shown in the not-too-distant past with the Miami Dolphins.
"Penix was better in 2025 than in his rookie season, but his injury isn't the only thing leaving him facing an uphill battle. As recently as two years ago, Tagovailoa led the league in completion percentage. The year before that, he paced the NFL with 4,624 passing yards. If Tagovailoa can approach that level of performance in 2026, then he's simply a better quarterback than Penix."
Tagovailoa appears to be the better option to start for Atlanta, at least at the outset of the 2026 season.
There is a case to be made that the organization would be better served by forcing Penix into the QB1 spot because they used a top-10 overall draft pick on him. Meanwhile, they're only paying Tua the veteran minimum while he collects ridiculous checks from Miami to stand on the Falcons' sideline.
At the same time, the Falcons can't afford to waste a season on Penix if he proves not to be better than Tagovailoa.
It is fair to point out that Penix hasn't really had a fair chance to get his career off the ground, yet. Last season, Penix started nine games thanks to an ACL injury after making three starts as a rookie. It's very difficult to establish momentum without consistent starts, and the only way NFL quarterbacks can learn to compete against live-game competition is to do it.
Ultimately, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski will have a tough decision to make. Fans just hope Stefanski doesn't drag it out the way he did with the Browns' messy QB competition in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Will Tua Tagovailoa beat out Michael Penix at QB?