Atlanta Falcons Name Tua Tagovailoa as Starting Quarterback for Week 1

The Atlanta Falcons are navigating challenges with their quarterback lineup. They announced Tua Tagovailoa as their Week 1 starter, while Michael Penix Jr. continues to recover from a partially torn ACL sustained in Week 11 of the 2025 season against the Carolina Panthers. The team is not rushing Penix back, opting for Tagovailoa.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Tagovailoa is the sixth different quarterback to start Week 1 for the Falcons since 2021. In that year, Matt Ryan was the starter before moving to the Indianapolis Colts. The team explored options with Marcus Mariota in 2022 and Desmond Ridder in 2023. Kirk Cousins began the 2024 season, and Penix started in 2025.

“You have a chip on your shoulder. I think where I’m coming into this, where Tua’s coming into this is, listen, this is not exactly how you thought it would go, but guess what, that’s the reality, and how are we gonna respond?”

During the 2026 offseason, changes were made. The Falcons replaced Raheem Morris with Kevin Stefanski as head coach after Stefanski’s departure from the Cleveland Browns. Tagovailoa joined the Falcons after being released by the Miami Dolphins.

Kevin Stefanski expressed confidence in Tagovailoa, stating that he needs to prove skeptics wrong. Tagovailoa’s career has had ups and downs, marked by a Pro Bowl appearance in 2023 and an impressive season leading the Dolphins to an 11-6 record and a playoff spot. Last year, he recorded 2,660 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over 14 games, highlighting both potential and areas for improvement.

The NFC South division remains unpredictable. The Panthers won last year’s division with an 8-9 record. Prior champions include the Buccaneers from 2021 to 2024 and the Saints from 2017 to 2020. The Falcons last claimed the division title and appeared in the Super Bowl in 2016.

Tagovailoa will lead the Falcons in their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, promising an exciting start.