Analyst makes bold Falcons prediction for Tua Tagovailoa originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons’ decision to sign Tua Tagovailoa to give Michael Penix Jr. some competition for the starting role has gotten mixed reactions.
But the idea behind it is that it either pushes Penix to become a better player or Tua revives his NFL career, and either way, the Falcons win.
We have seen top draft picks be moved on before, and settling into a new home, they play good football.
That is the hope here.
And for NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha, he has a rather bold prediction if Tua can play well in 2026.
“Tagovailoa’s decision to join the Falcons on a one-year deal means Atlanta is hoping a proven veteran — albeit one who was benched during his final season in Miami and has battled his own history of injuries — can finally get this team over the hump,” Chadiha writes.
“If Tagovailoa becomes the starter and returns to the form he showcased during his best years in 2022 and 2023, there’s every reason to believe the Falcons can reach the playoffs.”
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Can Tua deliver playoff football?
Well, you can make the case that he has the weapons to do it.
Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts are a nice trio to have to work with.
If, and that’s a big if, Tua can get back to near what he was in the early days in Miami, which is a big ask, then the Falcons could be winning the division. Which would then mean playoff football.
There are a lot of unknowns about Tua heading into 2026, and for all of this to even be possible, he has to beat out Penix Jr. for the starting role first.
So, let’s start there.
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