Falcons GM Ian Cunningham: Tua Tagovailoa is coming to compete

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The Falcons haven't officially signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa yet, but they have a plan in mind for when he is formally added to the roster in Atlanta. Tagovailoa will be joining Michael Penix Jr. on the depth chart and Penix is coming off of a torn ACL, which has joined his past performance in keeping the Falcons from naming him as the starter for the 2026 season. General Manager Ian Cunningham reiterated that on Friday when he told reporters that Tagovailoa is not resigned to any role as he starts his time with the team. "For Tua coming in here, he knows he's coming in here to compete , like Michael knows he is coming in to compete, everybody quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position," Cunningham said, via the team's website. "There are no starters right now." Cunningham said the Falcons spoke to Penix when they decided to pursue Tagovailoa because "you don't want to blindside somebody," but the team's clear message that Penix won't be handed the job made it inevitable that they'd be bringing in another starting option once they parted ways with Kirk Cousins. Now all that remains to be seen is which player winds up under center to start the 2026 season.