Tua Tagovailoa will start at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Kevin Stefanski announced the decision Monday following a monthslong training camp competition, while Michael Penix Jr. remains inactive as he recovers from a torn ACL.
The Atlanta Falcons have settled their offseason quarterback battle by naming veteran Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter first shared the decision on social media before the team made it official on Monday morning.
Training Camp Battle and Preseason Performance
The announcement caps off a monthslong competition that featured Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., and undrafted rookie Jack Strand. Tagovailoa logged the most reps throughout training camp and started both the first and final preseason games for Atlanta.
During the Falcons’ third exhibition game against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, Tagovailoa completed 7 of 8 passes for 95 yards across three drives. He engineered an eight-play, 60-yard touchdown drive on his opening series before losing a fumble on his second, helping Atlanta secure a 17-12 victory. Across the preseason exhibition slate, Tagovailoa finished 10 of 13 for 117 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
| Quarterback | Cmp/Att | Cmp % | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Strand | 24/36 | 66.7% | 306 | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | 36 |
| Cooper Rush | 30/48 | 62.5% | 254 | 5.3 | 1 | 2 | 31 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 10/13 | 76.9% | 117 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
Michael Penix Jr. Status and Recovery Timeline
While Tagovailoa takes the field for the opener, Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive against Pittsburgh, and Cooper Rush will serve as the primary backup. Penix started nine games for Atlanta in 2025 before sustaining a season-ending torn ACL in November.
Penix was cleared for 11-on-11 drills on August 22 but did not appear in any preseason games. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Penix explained that head coach Kevin Stefanski met with both quarterbacks prior to the announcement and indicated he is still working toward full strength.
“I want to be stronger. I want to be able to go out there and give the team 100 per cent, 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., Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Stefanski praised the entire quarterback room—which includes Tagovailoa, Penix, Rush, and Strand—for their approach throughout the offseason. Those guys have worked like crazy all offseason, and they’ve pushed each other, supported each other, and that’s what we’ll do for Tua,
Stefanski said.
Looking Ahead to Acrisure Stadium
Tagovailoa signed a one-year deal with Atlanta in March following a six-year stint in Miami. His former club carries a $99.2 million dead cap hit over the next two seasons after signing him to a four-year, $212.5 million contract extension in 2024.
Sunday’s matchup at Acrisure Stadium marks a notable return for Tagovailoa. His final appearance with Miami came at the same venue on December 15, when he was benched for rookie Quinn Ewers following a 28-15 loss to the Steelers.
When asked about plans beyond the opening weekend, Stefanski kept his focus strictly on the immediate schedule.
“I’ve got the blinders on, so I see Week 1 in front of me and after this one, then we’ll start on the next one and those type of things. So, I don’t think it’s fair to really go past this week on anything related to our football team.”
Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons head coach
He remains committed to addressing the team's current needs before shifting his attention to the challenges that lie further ahead in the season.
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