Even though he agreed to a veteran minimum salary, the prevailing sentiment suggests that Tua Tagovailoa will be the Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons in 2026. Even though Kirk Cousins is officially out of the building, the public doesn’t seem to have much confidence in Michael Penix Jr. and his recent rate of play, which has yet to produce anything more than a 4-8 starting record.
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According to Johnny Manziel, however, the addition of Tagovailoa may just be an attempt at motivating the Washington quarterback rather than burying him. “I have been a firm believer in Penix,” the Heisman trophy winner prefaced during the latest episode of his self-titled podcast.
“But I think those guys in that locker room are as well. So to bring another guy in, I guess, look, this is a chance for Tua to get behind him, push him, help him. For an offensive line that got their guy a little banged up last year, to have Tua come into a situation that he’s fragile at times, to say the least, is really interesting.”
While the Falcons didn’t necessarily keep Penix, or anyone else who happened to line up under center for them in 2025 for that matter, perfectly intact at all times, it should be noted that the team only allowed a total of 26 sacks last season. That was the fourth lowest total for any team in the league, and if they had allowed just three fewer, then they would have given up the least amount of any NFL throughout this past regular season.
Nevertheless, Manziel doesn’t seem to believe that Tagovailoa will be able to make the most of that protection whenever he is able to find it, as indicated by him questioning “Is this a year for Tua to come in and recreate his vibe, re-find himself, and when he does get his opportunities to get on the field, hopefully make the most of them?”
Even though their quarterback room is a little less crowded than it was this time last year, the Falcons figure to once again be hosting one of the more interesting QB races of the offseason, as neither Penix nor Tagovailoa appear to have a convincing enough case to claim the de facto QB1 spot. At least, that’s what the franchise seems to have suggested by refusing to name either one of them as the presumed starter.
They may still be contending with the disaster that was Cousins’ contract, but at least this signifies a new chapter for the QB position in Atlanta, and with Matt Ryan now in the building to offer up his guidance and assistance, the 2026 season may just prove to be one of the more productive ones in recent times for the Falcons.
