EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - Tua Tagovailoa is taking his role as the current backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in stride.Michael Penix Jr. has positioned himself firmly as the team's starter after an impressive comeback performance last Thursday night in a 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers. Tagovailoa said he will try to support Penix as much as he can."You've got to do everything you can to make sure you're not the reason he's failing," Tagovailoa said Tuesday. "So, that's where I look at my job being right now for Mike and whatever he needs in terms of off-the-field film, extra throws, questions, whatever it is, whatever that looks like. That's what my job description entails right now."Tagovailoa was named the Week 1 starter out of training camp with Penix still working his way back from November left ACL surgery. But then Tagovailoa injured his oblique during Week 1. In practice on Sept. 10, he grabbed at his side and sat on the grass, clearly in discomfort. He was ruled out the next day and Cooper Rush, Atlanta's third-string quarterback, started the team's first two games, both losses.Tagovailoa said he actually first felt the pain the day before and tried to work through it."Just thought it wasn't something as serious, just man, maybe my back or something might have locked up," Tagovailoa said. "But that's what it was (an oblique) and it's unfortunate, but it is what it is."Tagovailoa said he's doing much better now, though maybe not completely 100%. He was off the injury report last week and active as the backup.Tagovailoa was released by the Miami Dolphins during the offseason after a league-high 15 interceptions in 2025. The Dolphins took on a record $99.2 million to part ways with him. The Falcons signed him for one year and $1.3 million to compete with Penix for the starting job.If Tagovailoa does get a start this season, it will only be the third time since 1991 that one team has started two left-handed quarterbacks in the same season."I'm always going to look at it as a competition," Tagovailoa said. "But as I said, this is the job description right now. Mike's the guy. We have to do everything we can to support him and we're going to support him."
