Tua Tagovailoa Accepts the Challenge in Atlanta: Competition for the Starting Position
The new Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, has expressed his willingness to compete for the starting position with Michael Penix Jr., after a season that, in his own words, did not meet his expectations. Tagovailoa spoke to the media on Tuesday, two weeks after signing with the Falcons. The player was released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this month, who took on a record figure of $99.2 million in dead money against their salary cap.The Falcons signed Tagovailoa to a veteran minimum contract of $1.3 million for one year. Atlanta general manager Ian Cunningham stated two weeks ago that Tagovailoa will compete with Penix for the starting position, as long as Penix is healthy. Penix suffered a knee injury (ACL) in Week 11 and required reconstructive surgery. Tagovailoa mentioned knowing Penix through Tagovailoa’s younger brother. He was enthusiastic about competing with Penix and helping the younger player. The Falcons selected Penix at number 8 in the 2024 Draft.If we analyze last year, my game wasn’t up to the standard of how I’ve been playing football in the last… three years since the new contract. So, I simply have to play better football. That’s what it really means. There’s no other way to sugarcoat that or avoid it.
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa, who played six seasons in Miami, has had a history of concussions and missed six games due to a concussion and a hip injury in 2024. He assured that he had passed all the medical evaluations required by the Falcons.Either you’re a competitor or you’re not, you just don’t go from being a competitor to ‘let me relax a little bit’. I just don’t think it works like that… And because of that, I embrace competition. I’m excited to work alongside Mike and I’m excited to work with the team, with the guys. I think this year will be fun.
Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa, 28, led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 with 4,624 and set a personal record with 29 touchdown passes. That season, he played in all 18 of Miami’s games, including a loss in the AFC wild-card round against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the offseason, he signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history. Regarding his final season in Miami, Tagovailoa was vague about the experience. He reprimanded his teammates last October for being late to a players-only meeting and then apologized. Tagovailoa described last year’s experience with the Dolphins as “unique.” When asked in what sense, he replied: “In many ways.” The Falcons also signed free agent quarterback Trevor Siemian on Tuesday.The game of football will always entail physicality. So, you can never predict what the future will be in terms of your health, whether it’s an ankle injury, a hand injury, a concussion, a hip injury, whatever. In terms of health, I went through all the protocols I needed to do for the Falcons. Everything went well. Some things look much better than the guys might have thought.
Tua Tagovailoa
