This Falcons opinion would be much better news for Tua Tagovailoa, bad for Michael Penix Jr.

ESPN recently suggested that Tua Tagovailoa won't actually be the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.

For those hoping to see the former Miami Dolphins QB take over for Michael Penix Jr., NFL.com apparently is more your speed.

NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha ranks the Tagovailoa signing as the sixth-best free agent signing of the offseason so far.

Clearly, he thinks Tua will be the starter in Atlanta.

"Speaking of Tagovailoa, his one-year deal with Atlanta is a shrewd move for both sides," Chadiha writes. "The Falcons have plenty of talent, especially on offense, with All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts (who finally matured into a real difference-maker last season). What they haven't had in a long time is reliable quarterback play. The team has been hoping that Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, could provide that, but he's been inconsistent and is now recovering from a torn ACL. Adding Tagovailoa on a veteran-minimum deal gives new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski another potential option who could help him turn this team into a postseason contender."

MORE: Why the Kansas City Chiefs traded for Justin Fields

Tagovailoa's ending in Miami wasn't good.

That makes it easy to forget that for a while, he was very solid for the Dolphins.

"As much as Tagovailoa has his own long injury history in this league, he has been a good player when healthy," Chadiha writes. "All he has to do is provide a little bit of consistency, and the Falcons should be in the mix for the NFC South title. We've seen players like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones turn around their careers with a change of scenery. Tua could do the same thing in Atlanta at an extremely discounted cost."

The Falcons drafted Penix when they already had Kirk Cousins. Now they might overshadow Penix with a new lefty.

Tagovailoa is certainly hoping that this partnership with Stefanski is a good thing for his career, and it might very well be just that.

More NFL news:

• Patriots subtly insult Rob Gronkowski
• Michael Pittman Jr. had to fly 28 hours after trade from Colts to Steelers
• Travis Kelce's new Chiefs contract has a simple retirement plan
• It has quickly become depressing for Malik Willis with Dolphins
• How the Vikings actually feel about J.J. McCarthy
• Will Tua actually start with the Falcons?