Days after signing former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons GM Ian Cunningham announced Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will compete for the starting job. That came as no surprise, as Penix Jr. clearly has not shown enough thus far to be considered a future franchise quarterback. There is an old saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none, and that is the Falcons’ current situation. Both QBs are considered middle of the road at best as it stands, and this has all the makings of another average season in Atlanta.
The Tagovailoa signing already felt uninspiring in itself, as he does not provide much upside, but he also has trouble staying on the field. The Falcons added an injury-prone QB to a roster that already has Penix, who has suffered multiple torn ACLs going back to college. Atlanta could end with a third quarterback starting by the end of 2026. The first two options will likely find themselves in the blue tent if they do not play themselves out of the job first.
The Falcons have a ton of weapons on offense, including All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, who led the league in scrimmage yards this past season. Additionally, wide receiver Drake London is a legit number one, and tight end Kyle Pitts resurged after a disappointing 2024. There is enough talent on this roster to win the NFC South, but the limitations at the QB spot could once again hold the squad back.
The “big three” of Robinson, London, and Pitts are still young. When the season starts, they will be 24, 25, and 26 years of age, respectively. There should be no falling off anytime soon, but windows in the NFL close quickly. Teams have to strike while the iron is hot, especially in such a winnable division. Instead, Atlanta decided to add a quarterback who is not much of a needle mover.
Kyler Murray is not the perfect QB and also has his shortcomings (no pun intended), but he has shown much more upside than Tagovailoa up until this point. When Murray is on, he has that ability to put the team on his back and be the reason the squad wins the game. With Tagovailoa, his success has usually been more dependent on the situation around him.
All quarterbacks need great players around them to be successful, but they still need that ability to make something happen when things get off schedule. Murray has much more of that, which can be the difference between an extra couple of wins. The Falcons have a high floor already, and just needed someone who could make those few extra plays. Murray has proven to be capable of that in the past. With Penix and Tagovailoa, it remains a mystery.
The Minnesota Vikings were able to sign Murray to the league minimum of $1.3 million, as the Arizona Cardinals will be paying over $35 million in 2026. The same was true for the Tagovailoa signing, so Atlanta could have pursued what is likely a better QB at the same price.
It is really a shame that this young Falcons talent looks headed towards another wasted season. There is enough talent to make a serious run, but that seems unlikely to happen with now two perhaps mediocre QBs who cannot stay on the field.
The NFC South is wide open, as I mentioned, but it also feels like the entire conference is. The Philadelphia Eagles have internal issues, Matthew Stafford and his surgically repaired back are a year older, and we just saw Sam Darnold hoist the Lombardi. If winning a Super Bowl with Darnold is possible, then it probably is with Murray in the right situation (which may be Minnesota). Sure, Murray has some characteristics that are not pleasing, but if nothing else, the talent is worth a one-year flyer.
Malik Willis, who is a College Park, GA native, was probably the hottest free agent QB on the market. Many Atlanta fans wanted the hometown kid, but the asking price was probably too much. That is especially true now, with the $22.5 million in dead money after the Kirk Cousins release.
With all that, the Falcons may already be looking ahead to 2027 regarding a serious run, but will there be a better QB option available for them? Somewhere between seven and nine wins are likely again, meaning that they will not be in a position to draft a top quarterback. As crazy as it may sound to some, Murray may have been the best chance for Atlanta of landing a franchise QB with this core unit.
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