The Atlanta Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their starting quarterback for the Week 1 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, bypassing Michael Penix Jr., who will be inactive as he continues working his way back from a knee injury.
Atlanta has decided on its quarterback to begin the 2026 season. Tua Tagovailoa will start in Week 1 for the Falcons against the Steelers, the team announced Monday. The news comes after Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski spent the entire offseason, training camp and preseason weighing his options under center before deciding between 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa. Atlanta had a three-man position battle for much of training camp and preseason between Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr. and rookie Jack Strand. On Monday, ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter took to social media to report that the Atlanta Falcons have named their starting quarterback for this week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Schefter, Tagovailoa will start against the Steelers defense on Sunday. Stefanski told reporters on Monday that Penix, who has been working his way back from last year’s season-ending knee injury, will be inactive against Pittsburgh on Sept. 13. Cooper Rush will serve as Tagovailoa’s backup.
Atlanta’s offseason quarterback competition has reached its definitive conclusion. Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Tua Tagovailoa will start under center when the team travels to Acrisure Stadium to square off against the new-look Steelers defense on September 13, 2026.
The decision resolves months of evaluation throughout training camp and the preseason, where the coaching staff weighed options between Tagovailoa, Penix, and rookie Jack Strand. According to figures shared by ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, Tagovailoa appeared in preseason action by completing 10 of 13 pass attempts for 117 yards with no interceptions, yielding a 76.9% completion rate. Cooper Rush, who completed 30 of 48 passes for 254 yards during the exhibition slate, will serve as Tagovailoa’s primary backup.
Michael Penix Jr. Status and Preseason Performance
While Tagovailoa takes the reins for the opener, 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. will spend the game inactive. Penix has been recovering from a season-ending knee injury sustained last year—marking his third ACL tear—and was cleared for 11-on-11 drills in late August.
“Mike is getting better and better and better, and I’m very proud of him for how far he’s come, but this will continue to be something that we work (on) together with Mike. We’re all on the same page, which is great between myself, Mike, medical, you name it. Everybody feels good about where Mike is heading, and he’ll continue just to work like crazy. That’s his focus, and I think he’s told you guys that. He’s gonna focus on trying to get better every single day.”
Kevin Stefanski, Falcons Coach, via NFL.com
Stefanski did not say whether Penix will be the starter or backup once healthy. I'm gonna really stay in Week 1 right now and Pittsburgh and not speculate past that, Stefanski said, but (I) feel good about where everybody is. Penix told reporters later Monday that he’s “really close” to feeling ready to play after being cleared for 11-on-11 drills in late August. Penix himself stressed the importance of returning only when fully prepared to protect the team’s interests.
“I want to be stronger. I want to be able to go out there and give the team 100%, and if I don’t feel like I can do that, I don’t want to. That’s not fair for this team. That’s not fair for this organization. I want to make sure whenever I am out there, I’m 100%. There’s no doubt in my mind that I trust my knee.”
Michael Penix Jr., Falcons Quarterback, via The Associated Press
Preseason Quarterback Statistics
During the summer exhibition games, the Falcons gave extended looks to all three contenders on the roster.
The Steelers have only faced Tagovailoa in his career. He beat the Steelers 16-10 in Miami back in 2022. This time, Tagovailoa and his new team will come to Acrisure Stadium to square off against the new-look Steelers defense.
A former first-round pick of the Dolphins, Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons in March following his unceremonious release from Miami, offering Atlanta an experienced signal-caller with the capability of handling the starting job. With Penix coming back from his third ACL tear, Tagovailoa’s history — and even his left-handedness, mirroring Penix — became especially valuable to Atlanta.
Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa Week 1 Starter vs Steelers[BREAKING NEWS] Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter vs. Steelers – Ian Rapoport reports
