Falcons Name Tua Tagovailoa Week 1 Starter

The Falcons have named Tua Tagovailoa their starting quarterback for Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the Steelers.

The decision ends a months-long quarterback competition between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., who spent the offseason working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in November 2025.

Penix was cleared for full football activities in late August, but Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that the third-year quarterback will be inactive for the season opener. Cooper Rush will instead be the backup behind Tagovailoa.

“We’re all on the same page, and feel good about where he is heading,” Stefanski said regarding Penix’s recovery.

Atlanta has not provided a specific timeline for when Penix could return to game action.

Tagovailoa Gets the First Opportunity

Tagovailoa joined Atlanta this offseason on a 1-year, $1.3M contract after being released by the Dolphins in March.

The former No. 5 overall pick now gets another opportunity to establish himself as a starting quarterback after six seasons in Miami.

Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards in 2023 before leading the league with a 72.9% completion rate the following season. He has completed 68% of his career passes for 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns, and 59 interceptions.

His final season with the Dolphins was more difficult, with Tagovailoa throwing 15 interceptions before Miami moved on during the offseason.

Penix Continues Working Back

The former 1st-round pick tore his ACL in November 2025 and wasn’t cleared to participate in 11-on-11 periods until the final week of training camp. He also did not appear during the preseason.

Stefanski has expressed optimism about Penix’s progress, but has not announced when he expects him to be available. For now, the Falcons will enter Week 1 with Tagovailoa as QB1 and Rush as his backup while Penix continues working toward his return.