Tua Tagovailoa named Atlanta Falcons Week 1 starting QB vs Pittsburgh Steelers over Michael Penix Jr

The Atlanta Falcons have their Week 1 quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa will start Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, the team announced Monday, closing a months-long competition with Michael Penix Jr. It is Atlanta’s sixth different Week 1 starter in six seasons. Kickoff is 1 PM ET.

A competition shaped by injuries

Tua Tagovailoa signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal in March after the Miami Dolphins released him and absorbed a record $99.2 million in dead cap. He spent most of training camp with the first-team offense.

Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL in November 2025 against Carolina and had season-ending surgery. He was not cleared for 11-on-11 work until the final week of camp and did not play in the preseason. Tagovailoa missed the first week of camp with a tight back, then took the bulk of the full-team snaps.

General manager Ian Cunningham had framed the room as open from day one. “For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in to compete, just like Michael knows he’s coming in to compete. Quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position, but everybody’s coming in to compete,” he said in March. “We’re excited to have Tua, but we’re excited to have all the players that we were able to get in this free agent class.”

Atlanta kept four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster: Tagovailoa, Penix, Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand, one of only four teams to do so.

Mixed preseason, familiar questions

Tua Tagovailoa started the first and final preseason games. He finished 10 of 13 for 117 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 103.7 passer rating. He also fumbled a snap in both appearances and rarely pushed the ball downfield, the same issue that showed up in camp.

The 28-year-old still carries a strong resume. He led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 (4,624) and in completion percentage in 2024 (72.9%). Career numbers: 68% completions, 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions in six seasons, all with Miami. Last year he threw 15 interceptions and battled concussion issues before the Dolphins moved on.

Weapons built for a quick-release passer

Tua Tagovailoa’s best football has come when he gets the ball out fast and lets playmakers work after the catch. Atlanta Falcons have those players including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, plus offseason adds Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus, Brian Robinson Jr. and third-round pick Zachariah Branch.

Tagovailoa said as much in camp. “You know that certain players, once they have the ball in their hands, a lot of the time the first guy they’re going to make miss. And we’ll see how it goes from there. But those kind of run-after-catch guys, that’s the guys you want to be able to get the ball to any which way you can.”

This is his first start for a team other than Miami and his first in a new scheme that wants more work from under center.

What Sunday means

The nod is for Week 1. Penix remains on the roster and is healthy enough to practice. Both quarterbacks could start games this season. For now, Atlanta is handing the keys to the veteran who took the snaps when it counted in August.