Falcons QB outlook right now
By: Jake Rajala
The secret is out: the former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is headed to Atlanta to be a Falcon. The former fifth overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft will join Michael Penix Jr. at the quarterback spot. So, what grade should I hand the Falcons? I would give them a B.
The Falcons need to improve their QB spot this season. Penix could be an excellent QB one day. However, right now, he is a inconsistent and an injury prone figure. Penix went 3-6 last season. He was the NFC version of Justin Fields. He threw 9 TDs to 3 interceptions. So, he was efficient. But, he wasn’t quite productive or clutch enough. He had a PFF grade of 59.3, which placed him 38th out of 43. His rookie season didn’t deliver hope, as he went 1-2, threw 775 yards, and three touchdowns to three interceptions.
Tua can absolutely be the starter. We’ve seen him lead the league in passing yards and completion percentage before. It’s not fair to give up on him, especially after he only played in four games. We’ve seen Brett Favre put up sky-high numbers, but lead the league in ints at the same time.
Last season, Tua unleashed 20 passing touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 2,660 passing yards, 67.7 completion percentage, and a 6-8 record. He’s fortunate to have won six games.
Tua is only 28 years old. There is still a plethora of time for him to improve his mechanics and improv his confidence. He will be playing under a two time COTY in Kevin Stefanski, too. He will also have Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson to help him excel.
I’d still love to see the Falcons draft a QB in the second or third round. If they can get a QB like Tyler Shough or Shedeur Sanders in their QB group, they would have serious competition brewing.
They could even trade their second or third round pick for a QB, such a veteran QB. Davis Mills, Spencer Rattler, or Dillon Gabriel could be superb options.
One of the downsides of Tua is that he is also injury prone. He missed three games last season, six games in 2024, four games in 2022, and four games in 2021. Thankfully, the Falcons have superior pass protection. The Falcons ranked fourth in sacks allowed last season.
Tua also has a playoff record of 0-1. Clearly, he hasn’t proven himself on the big stage. We don’t know if he will be clutch like Nick Foles or if he will sputter out like CJ Stroud in his latest playoff contest.
Tua needs to be less aggressive with the ball. He is showing little faith in his defense. The Phins were 24th in PPG allowed last season. He will have a Falcons defense that was “a little” better, as they were 19th in PPG allowed. He needs to be patient with the football, even if his defense bleeds.
It’s unclear which QB will start. It is obvious that the teams in the NFC South don’t have elite defenses. Tua had to face the Patriots defense (third in PPG allowed) and Bills (12th in PPG allowed) in the AFC East. Well, that’s far more impressive than the defenses in the NFC South. The Saints lost their All-Pro LB Demario Davis today and the future Hall of Famer Cameron Jordan could follow him out the door. The Buccaneers still haven’t brought back the legendary Lavonte David. The Panthers did bring in Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips, but they will still have some growing pains.
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