Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa said he’s open to mentoring Michael Penix, Jr. this season.

25 March 2026

How much the 28-year-old Tagovailoa can mentor the soon-to-be-26-year-old Penix is anyone’s guess, but it sounds like Tua and Penix will have a working relationship as they compete for the Falcons’ Week 1 starting gig. “I look at myself when I was a rookie and I was very grateful for the chance that I had with someone like Ryan Fitzpatrick,” Tagovailoa told reporters Monday in his first comments since signing with Atlanta. “I think whatever I can do to help Mike’s game will help me because if I’m helping getting him better, it’s helping me get better, vice versa, we’re then helping the team get better. ... It’s the collection of what’s best for the team, not just the individual.” It remains to be seen whether Penix, coming off his latest major knee injury, will be ready for the regular season opener. That could leave Tua as the default starter in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. " Tua in 2025 ranked 31st out of 37 qualifying quarterbacks in drop back success rate, just below Tyler Shough and Justin Fields. Penix, meanwhile, was 18th in success rate, in line with Jaxson Dart.