Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa addresses narrative about Michael Penix Jr. QB competition

Since this past spring, the perception has existed that free-agency signing Tua Tagovailoa is the favorite to emerge as the Atlanta Falcons' Week 1 starting quarterback over 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. 

Penix spent springtime workouts recovering from surgery he needed last fall to repair a partially torn ACL, and he may not be fully cleared until later in August. Nevertheless, Tagovailoa insisted during a Tuesday appearance on NFL Network that he understands he hasn't won the QB1 job yet. 

Tua Tagovailoa knows he's in a competition vs. Michael Penix Jr.

"I view it as a competition," Tagovailoa explained, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "I understand [Penix] can’t take some team reps right now because of what he’s going through, but he’s still being able to compete in seven-on-seven, he’s still able to go through some plays. It’s definitely a competition."

As of Wednesday morning, it seems unlikely that Penix will play during Atlanta's preseason opener versus the Denver Broncos on Aug. 14. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa was slowed by a back issue in the early days of training camp. 

That said, ESPN's Marc Raimondi shared on Tuesday that Tagovailoa expects to be practicing fully on Wednesday.

Tua Tagovailoa shares positive injury update

Also during the NFL Network appearance, Tagovailoa indicated that he isn't concerned about what Raimondi referred to as "a tight back." 

"Nothing too serious, just a caution kind of thing where we’re not rushing it. It was just a flare-up, nothing big, not anything long-term. We’ll be fine," Tagovailoa said about his setback. 

Assuming Tagovailoa is correct, one would think that he will take plenty of snaps against the Broncos two Fridays from now. If he shines during that exhibition contest, he could grab what proves to be an insurmountable lead in the competition for the starting job. However, the door could be open for Penix to potentially climb back atop the depth chart if Tagovailoa plays poorly against Denver or develops what becomes a significant back problem over the next couple of weeks.