With the starting and backup quarterbacks for the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons‘ Week 3 matchup in the NFL confirmed, fans wonder why Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t named QB1 by head coach Kevin Stefanski. Instead, it will be Michael Penix Jr. who starts for the Falcons in Green Bay.
Coming off an oblique injury that ruled him out for the first two weeks of the season, Tagovailoa is back healthy. However, he didn’t get Stefanski’s nod, as the head coach is instead trusting Penix Jr. to be the team’s starting quarterback in what’s set to be a tough, primetime showdown on the road against the Packers.
It may come as a surprise to many given Tagovailoa was on top of the depth chart to start the season, but that was because Penix was out dealing with soreness from his knee surgery. Because of his back injury before the start of the regular season, Tagovailoa couldn’t make the most of his opportunity and didn’t play a single snap while Penix was sidelined.
Atlanta always considered Penix Jr. its QB1 and only brought Tagovailoa over from the Miami Dolphins to be a reliable backup option on a veteran-minimum, one-year contract.
Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Atlanta Falcons.
Tagovailoa’s contract year in 2026
Make no mistake, there are far worse second-string quarterbacks to have than Tagovailoa, but his injury-prone and inconsistent resume raises question marks about him being a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Once the 2026 NFL season comes to an end, Tagovailoa will become an unrestricted free agent, though he will still make roughly $52.785 million (paid by the Dolphins) this year. That’s a lot of money for a backup quarterback… playing for another franchise.
In more ways than one, it makes sense why Stefanski is choosing Penix Jr. over Tagovailoa for the primetime road game at Lambeau Field. Throughout his entire career, though often exaggerated, Tagovailoa has struggled in such conditions, especially when playing up North and in the elements.
Tagovailoa’s track record against Packers
Against the Packers and at Lambeau, those are two things in particular Tua has struggled with. He’s only played Green Bay twice in his NFL career, registering two losses and completing 53 of 71 passes (74.6%) for 675 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. On paper, those numbers may not look too bad combined, but separately, they were disastrous showings.
Tua played with the Dolphins at Lambeau on Thanksgiving 2024. Miami fell 30-17, and while the final score may not show it, it was an ugly night for Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Tagovailoa and company found themselves down 27-3 in the second half, and it was only late in the game that Tagovailoa connected for two touchdown passes and was able to camouflage what was an awful night in Green Bay. Atlanta has a different team than Miami did, but such outings may still linger in Stefanski’s head when choosing between Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa.
Key takeaways
- Head coach Kevin Stefanski named Michael Penix Jr. as Atlanta’s starting quarterback.
- Tua Tagovailoa missed the first two games of the season with an oblique injury.
- He will earn roughly $52.785 million this year paid by the Miami Dolphins.
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