Dwight Freeney believes Tua Tagovailoa has the leg up on Michael Penix Jr. for the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback job.
The Falcons will have one of the more interesting quarterback competitions in training camp this summer when the third-year Penix Jr. looks to hold off the veteran newcomer, Tagovailoa, for the Falcons’ starting quarterback job. Atlanta is entering a new era with Kevin Stefanski entering his first year.
Both quarterbacks are sidelined to start out training camp, with Tagovailoa sidelined for a week due to a back injury and Penix Jr. continuing to rehab from his ACL injury.
Freeney, who helped lead the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2016 season, said that Tagovailoa “should be the starter.”
“But I believe if Tua is Tua, a more accurate quarterback pocket passer, and if that system that they like, if you want to keep them there in that pocket, I think they can be dangerous,” said Freeney. “I really do. I just think that it’s all about a confidence thing with him and getting him to the right system that he agrees with, and I don’t know yet what system they’re going to go with with a new head coach, but if all things are the way it’s supposed to be, the veteran guy should be the starter.”
Tua Tagovailoa Hoping to Recapture Form That Made Him Pro Bowl QB
Penix ended his rookie season as the Falcons’ starting quarterback and he entered the 2025 season as the starter. However, he has yet to solidify himself as Atlanta’s franchise quarterback, delivering middling results over his first two seasons. Penix has gone 4-8 with 12 touchdowns against six interceptions for an 85.8 passer rating.
In other words, it’s the exact reason the Falcons brought in Tagovailoa, who previously had success as the Miami Dolphins‘ franchise quarterback, into the equation. Tagovailoa was a Pro Bowl quarterback who led the league in passing yards and passer rating and led Miami to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
However, he regressed big time over the past couple of seasons, with Tagovailoa’s career reaching a low point last season when he was benched for Miami’s final three games of the season. At the time of his benching, Tagovailoa was tied for the league league with 15 interceptions.
The hope is that either Tagovailoa can recapture the form that made him a Pro Bowl quarterback with the Dolphins or that Penix Jr. can finally break through and establish himself as the franchise quarterback. It’s a major reason why the Falcons surprisingly selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft when Kirk Cousins was the starting quarterback.
Dwight Freeney Doesn’t Believe This is Tua Tagovailoa’s ‘Last Chance’
If Tagovailoa does lose out on the starting quarterback job, he doesn’t believe this is his last chance at starting for a good team.
“No, I wouldn’t say that,” said Freeney when asked if this is Tagovailoa’s last chance at a starting job for a good team. “I wouldn’t say that. You never know, man. You never know what’s gonna happen. Quarterbacks go down. Look at Philip Rivers years after being retired Understand the shelf life for a quarterback. Look at Joe Flacco. That’s my point, the ceiling. You never know what’s gonna happen. Sam Darnold, you never know what’s gonna happen if as a quarterback, because if you can still throw the ball, you might get into a system that agrees with you. You look at this and say this is his last chance, but as long as it’s not a health reason, it may not be his last chance.”
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