Tua Tagovailoa Gets Falcons Starting Nod With Major Caveat

As the Atlanta Falcons prepare for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, former Pro Bowler Tua Tagovailoa has been named the starting quarterback.

However, head coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t go beyond the season opener for a long-term decision under center.

“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,” Stefanski said via ESPN. “So, I don’t think it’s fair to really go past this week on anything related to our football team.”

Throughout much of training camp, Tagovailoa had been unofficially the frontrunner to secure the starting job, especially with Michael Penix Jr. still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 season.

Tagovailoa had inked a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Falcons that he hopes will lead to a lucrative new contract next offseason.

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Penix will be inactive for Week 1 action, while Cooper Rush will serve as the backup to Tagovailoa. It’s still a fluid situation, with Stefanski playing week by week before he settles into a solidified starter for the season.

“I think every decision I make for the football team, you’re taking in all the information available to you,” Stefanski said. “Sometimes information changes and certainly with a decision like this, you want to make sure that you’re taking all the information from the spring to the summer to how people are performing — those type of things. So felt really strongly about this group and feel good about where we’re heading.”

Nonetheless, Tagovailoa will have the first opportunity to prove himself worthy of being the long-term starter for the 2026 season. It will likely be his job to lose while Penix recovers, and he will assume the backup spot once he returns.