By: Michael Spiers

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

There probably aren’t many quarterbacks in the NFL entering the 2026 season with more to prove than Tua Tagovailoa.

And there may not be a better place for him to try to prove it than Atlanta.

Tagovailoa’s time in Miami ended with plenty of questions about whether he could still be the quarterback who once looked like one of the NFL’s rising stars. Now, at 28 years old, he’s getting something of a fresh start with the Falcons. But let’s not confuse a fresh start with a pressure-free one.

If anything, the pressure may be greater than ever.

Atlanta brought Tagovailoa in this offseason while Michael Penix Jr. continues working his way back from the ACL injury that ended his 2025 season. That has opened the door for Tua to potentially begin the season as Atlanta’s starter.

His first preseason appearance certainly didn’t quiet any concerns. Tua completed just three of five passes for 22 yards in Atlanta’s 27-7 loss to Denver. The Falcons managed only one first down during his two possessions, and a fumbled snap didn’t help matters.

Am I ready to panic over two preseason possessions?

Absolutely not. If preseason football told us everything we needed to know, there would be a lot of August Hall of Famers who somehow disappeared by October.

But Tua isn’t in a position where he can afford many bad performances, either.

This is a quarterback who needs to remind people why Miami once believed enough in him to build its offense around him. He needs to stay healthy, take care of the football and consistently get the ball into the hands of Atlanta’s playmakers.

And there are plenty of them.

Bijan Robinson is one of the most dangerous running backs in football. Drake London has developed into a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and Kyle Pitts gives Atlanta another potentially dangerous weapon at tight end. This offense shouldn’t need Tua to play Superman every Sunday.

That’s why I think the definition of a successful season for Tagovailoa is pretty simple.

He needs to get the Atlanta Falcons into the playoffs.

He doesn’t need to throw for 5,000 yards. He doesn’t need to be an MVP candidate. He doesn’t even necessarily need to make the Pro Bowl.

He needs to win. Atlanta hasn’t made the postseason since the 2017 season. We’ve watched this franchise spend year after year hovering around mediocrity. They have usually been good enough to remain interesting and not quite good enough to matter in January.

At some point, that has to change.

If Tua starts most of the season, stays healthy, limits turnovers and helps Atlanta win nine or 10 games and reach the playoffs, I’d call his season a success.

Win the NFC South? Even better. Win a playoff game? Now we’re talking about one of the better comeback stories of the NFL season.

But another seven or eight-win Falcons season with Tua putting up decent statistics while Atlanta watches the playoffs from home wouldn’t do much for me. We’ve seen enough “almost” in Atlanta.

The good news is Tua doesn’t have to carry this team by himself. Atlanta needs the quarterback who can distribute the football, make quick decisions, protect the ball and allow Robinson, London, Pitts and the rest of the offense to do the damage.

There’s also another element hanging over all of this. Penix is still there.

The Falcons drafted Penix in the first round because they believed he could become their quarterback of the future. Once he’s completely healthy, every bad performance from Tua will inevitably bring questions about whether it’s time to make a change.

That’s life as an NFL quarterback. Tua is getting another opportunity to prove he can lead an NFL team. The Falcons are getting another opportunity to finally escape the middle of the pack.

For both of them, simply being competitive isn’t enough anymore.

It’s time to win.