The Atlanta Falcons have found themselves with a less-than-stellar quarterback situation to begin the 2026 campaign. With both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa injured for Week 1, that forced third-stringer Cooper Rush into action, and while he managed to hold his own, the Falcons still suffered a 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers when all was said and done.
For much of the summer, the team was trying to figure out whether Penix or Tagovailoa would start under center to begin the year. Tagovailoa essentially won by default due to Penix’s recovery from ACL surgery, but now he’s dealing with his own injury woes. Should he get himself healthy for Week 2, Tagovailoa would likely start, but the problem is that unless he stands out, it sounds like Atlanta is eventually going to turn things over to Penix.
Falcons Sorting Out Their Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr. Plan
While Tagovailoa won the starting job for Week 1, the Falcons have never seemed truly committed to him under center. That is likely why they waited until as late as they possibly could to announce Tagovailoa as their starter, but with Penix not ready to go, they didn’t really have any choice.
If Tagovailoa played well to begin the year, Atlanta could stick with him, but if he struggled, the door was wide open for head coach Kevin Stefanski to turn to Penix once he was ready to go. However, now that Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique injury, that has left the Falcons in a strange spot moving forward.
Penix could conceivably be ready to play in Week 2, but it seems unlikely. That means Tagovailoa could draw the start if he’s healthy, but again, there’s no guarantee that will happen. And even if it does, NFL insider Ian Rapoport seems convinced that Penix is eventually going to wind up being the starter one way or another.
It is pretty clear to me, based on the people I’ve spoken with, that the Falcons would like Michael Penix to be their starting quarterback when he is healthy, when he is ready, and when he can do it,” Rapoport said on “The Aftermath.
Tua Tagovailoa Already Facing Uncertain Future With the Falcons
Atlanta took a flier on Tagovailoa this offseason, signing him to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, so if he doesn’t pan out, it’s not really a huge issue for the team. However, he’d ideally offer the Falcons a bridge to Penix at the very least, or even another option if Penix continues to struggle under center.
Instead, he’s found himself plagued by a new injury issue, and even before that, there wasn’t much confidence surrounding him with the team’s building. Tagovailoa could very well start in Week 2, but if things go poorly for him, it’s not a stretch to suggest that it could be his only start of the season.
Insider Hits Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa With Harsh Truth Amid Injury Woes