Falcons HC says he has one notable thing in common with Tua Tagovailoa

The Atlanta Falcons are giving Tua Tagovailoa a chance to compete for a starting job after signing him earlier in March, and head coach Kevin Stefanski is confident the veteran quarterback will be plenty motivated throughout the offseason.

Tagovailoa agreed to a one-year deal with the Falcons on March 9, which was almost immediately after the Miami Dolphins released him. Atlanta prioritized signing Tagovailoa, with Michael Penix Jr. recovering from a torn ACL. While Penix is expected to be cleared in time for the start of the 2026 season, the two quarterbacks will both have a chance at earning the Week 1 starting job.

Like Tagovailoa, Stefanski is hoping a fresh start with a new NFL team will produce positive results. That is why the coach believes he and his new quarterback have something notable in common.

Tua Tagovailoa has plenty to prove

The Dolphins gave up on Tagovailoa less than two years after he signed a four-year, $212.4M extension with the team. Tagovailoa has struggled since, though you could argue that injuries were the most significant factor in his performance.

In an interview with Mike Garafolo of NFL Network on Sunday, Stefanski delivered a strong message about Tagovailoa. The coach said both he and his new quarterback have a lot to prove after being fired.

"There's something to be said when you're fired," Stefanski said. "I can attest to that. You want to prove people wrong. You have a chip on your shoulder. I think where I'm coming into this, where Tua's coming into this is, listen, this is not exactly how you thought it would go, but guess what, that's the reality, and how are we gonna respond? I think that's what he's made of. You look back his career, you look back at his college career, he's responded."

Tagovailoa is coming off a season in which he completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and a career-worst 15 interceptions. He threw for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023 and had 19 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions in 11 games during the 2024 season. The Falcons are hoping they get something closer to the 2023 version of Tagovailoa.