Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa as Week 1 starting QB vs the Steelers
The Atlanta Falcons have named Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for their first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced on Monday. This decision came after a month-long competition between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., who had played nine games for the team in 2025 before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in November.
Tagovailoa had outperformed Penix in valuable reps during training camp, leading the team in preseason games. Despite Penix being cleared for 11-on-11 drills on August 22, he did not play in any preseason games for the Falcons. Tagovailoa started both the Falcons' first and final preseason games, finishing with 95 passing yards in three drives against his former team, the Miami Dolphins.
The Falcons opted to keep four quarterbacks on their roster, including Tagovailoa, Penix, undrafted rookie Jack Strand, and veteran Cooper Rush.
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