Through two weeks, the Atlanta Falcons look like the worst team in football. That's unacceptable for a roster this talented, not to mention a head coach with Kevin Stefanski's bona fides. The offense is completely dysfunctional. Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts should not coexist in an offense that can't penetrate the red zone or generate explosive plays.
The culprit: Cooper Rush, and to a lesser extent Jack Strand. With Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa both hurt, Atlanta turned to third-stringer Rush to start the first two games. When he flamed out against Carolina, in front of the home crowd, the Falcons put in undrafted rookie Strand. To the surprise of nobody except desperate Falcons fans, he was in over his head.
Atlanta is hoping to finally break its slump in a Week 3 showdown with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. Penix is officially cleared to return from his torn ACL, giving the Falcons something close to baseline competence at the quarterback position. That also means the aforementioned Tagovailoa — whom Atlanta inked to a minimum contract in free agency after the Dolphins cut him — is officially benched. Here's where the Falcons can move him, to avoid keeping four healthy QBs on the roster once Tagovailoa is up to speed.
The 'please not' tier
6. Cleveland Browns
Look, man. No fanbase deserves a break more than Cleveland. The Browns put their first win on the board in Week 2, powered by a surprisingly solid Deshaun Watson performance, but let's not take anything to the bank just yet. The Browns' defense is far more vulnerable this season without Myles Garrett, while the offensive infrastructure around Watson is suspect at best.
Tagovailoa simply does not have the arm talent, nor the ability to elevate an offense beyond its scheme, to help Cleveland find a different gear. Should the Browns eventually tire of the Deshaun Watson experience and go seeking an alternate solution, Shedeur Sanders is already on the roster. Might as well see what he can do in Todd Monken's offense before resetting with the 2027 NFL Draft.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Watching Tua Tagovailoa attempt to conquer the sluggish and perennially punchless Steelers offense would be akin to attending a weekly paint-drying exhibition. Mike McCarthy was a brilliant offensive coach once upon a time, aided by a then-brilliant Aaron Rodgers. Neither is in their prime anymore, however. In fact, Rodgers appears extremely cooked — to the point where Pittsburgh's decades-long postseason streak is potentially in danger.
If Pittsburgh decides to retire Rodgers early, which is not out of the question, there's more upside in an internal promotion for rookie Drew Allar — or a separate trade candidate with a bit more juice. Tagovailoa will only bog down an offense that's already in a deep stupor.
The "not the best idea" tier
4. Tennessee Titans
Look, Tennessee almost beat the Eagles on Sunday, so we can hold back on the doomer talk a little bit. But it's getting pretty dire, pretty fast for the Titans, whose defense under new head coach Robert Saleh isn't nearly stout enough to compensate for the offense's complete absence of talent or continuity. Cam Ward, going into his second NFL season as a No. 1 overall pick, looks rudderless and far too conservative for a quarterback who made his reputation in college as an all-out gunslinger.
Still, the Titans ought to ride it out with Ward. There's far too much invested in him and his development to sidetrack it for Tagovailoa, whose own limitations would be even more sharply exposed on such a bad Titans roster. There may come a time when Tennessee needs to consider its alternatives — or at least roster a better backup — but Tagovailoa is not the answer.
3. New York Jets
The Jets are 1-1 and (don't look now, but) they look pretty good! Geno Smith is still a very talented and competent quarterback when he's not leaning on his worst instincts in a hilariously undermanned offense, as he was in Las Vegas last season. The Jets have a functional O-line and a genuinely talented supporting cast. Aaron Glenn might just have a future in East Rutherford.
On the other hand — and apologies if this isn't very scientific analysis — the Jets are cursed and that offense hasn't found sustained success in eons. Smith is getting older and the turnover problems could easily crop back up against more formidable defensive opponents. While Tagovailoa has a point guard's mentality and could benefit from distributing to Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall out in space, it feels like the Jets are a team where quarterbacks go to die. We should not fully trust them yet.
The 'hold on now... let him cook' tier
2. New York Giants
Is Tua Tagovailoa better than Jameis Winston? Probably not. But the Giants will need a backup to Winston if Jaxson Dart is done for the season, which could mean Tagovailoa is a cheap and sensible contingency plan. The Giants' offense sputtered against an elite Rams defense on Monday Night Football, but that's after it patiently picked apart Dallas a week ago. There's some real talent here and John Harbaugh, if nothing else, is a proven regular-season winner.
Tagovailoa needs a game-breaking receiver like Malik Nabers on his side. The run game hinges on the extremely volatile health of human battering ram Cam Skattebo, but right now, it's clicking. There are worse outcomes for Tagovailoa than a lower-pressure backup role on a competent Giants team.
1. Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams could return in time for their Monday Night Football matchup with the Eagles in Week 3, so his minor hamstring injury on Sunday clearly is not the end of the world. That said, backup Tyson Bagent is entering concussion protocol, which puts Case Keenum in line for a potential emergency start. The Bears probably wouldn't start Tagovailoa in Week 3, even if he was acquired tomorrow, but there's some merit to this partnership.
Bagent and Keenum aren't very good, to be blunt, and hamstring injuries are always finicky. That is compounded by Caleb Williams' naturally bold play style, which can sometimes leave him vulnerable to thunderous hits. Should the Bears need a backup, Tagovailoa has historically only thrived when dropped into the best offense in football. That is Chicago, at least on paper. The Bears are loaded with playmakers and Ben Johnson knows how to scheme guys open. If any team can come close to approximating Tagovailoa's success in the halcyon days of Mike McDaniel-led Miami, it's probably Da Bears.
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