“That Train About to Run You Over”: 3X Super Bowl Champion Sends Harsh Warning to Tua Tagovailoa Despite Winning QB1 Job

Tua Tagovailoa has won the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback job, but Shannon Sharpe does not believe the decision means the competition is over. The three-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer reacted to Atlanta naming Tagovailoa its Week 1 starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Michael Penix Jr. set to remain inactive while he continues working his way back from a torn ACL.

“The mere fact that he says, ‘All I’m thinking about is Week 1,’ lets you know that Tua should be looking over his shoulder,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap podcast. “In other words, you’re not looking side to side. You can see straight ahead. Good thing you can’t see what’s behind you. That train about to run you over,”

Sharpe’s warning was aimed at the uncertainty beyond the opener. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has been careful not to make a commitment beyond Week 1, saying the quarterback evaluation was “all-encompassing” and that Tagovailoa’s work since April helped him earn the opening-day nod.

Miami cut him, and Atlanta picked him up in March on a one-year minimum deal. Just like that, Tagovailoa’s six-year run with the Dolphins was over. It had included a Pro Bowl, an NFL-leading passing-yardage season (4,624) in 2023, and a $212 million extension that still could not keep him in Miami.

The Falcons already had a different plan sitting in their quarterback room, though. Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, took over as the starter last season and made nine starts before suffering the ACL injury in November. Before going down, he had completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. Penix’s injury is a big part of why Tagovailoa has the edge going into Week 1. It’s not simply a case of Penix losing the job on the field.

That’s important because Penix hasn’t played a preseason game while recovering from the injury, and the Falcons have opted not to rush him back. For Week 1, Tagovailoa will have Cooper Rush behind him, while Penix watches from the sideline.

Stefanski has also declined to speculate about who will start at quarterback after the opener, leaving plenty of room for the situation to change once Penix is fully healthy.

For Tagovailoa, that makes the Pittsburgh game more than just his Atlanta debut. It is his first opportunity to establish himself in a new offense after a turbulent final season in Miami. The Dolphins released him after a 2025 campaign in which he threw 15 interceptions in 14 games and was eventually replaced by rookie Quinn Ewers. Atlanta is giving him another chance, but his one-year contract makes the opportunity feel more like a reset than a guarantee.

“I love this team. I love the guys on this team. I’ve created great relationships with guys on this team,” Tagovailoa said.

The Steelers matchup gives him an immediate stage, too. Atlanta will open the season in Pittsburgh, where Aaron Rodgers is expected to lead the Steelers. Tagovailoa does not need to settle the Falcons’ entire quarterback future in one afternoon, but a strong start would make it considerably harder for the organization to justify changing course once Penix is ready.

That is ultimately where Sharpe’s warning lands. Tagovailoa has won the first battle, but Atlanta has not closed the door on the quarterback conversation. The veteran now has the chance to make sure that, when Penix eventually returns, there is no reason for the Falcons to look behind him.

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