Thursday night’s opening game for Week 3 will see Michael Penix Jr. make his season debut with the Falcons. Atlanta’s other left-handed quarterback is set to be available as well.
Tua Tagovailoa is in line to dress as the Falcons’ backup quarterback, Bleacher Report’s James Palmer reports. Tagovailoa was named the team’s starter for Week 1, but an oblique strain led to time on the sidelines. Head coach Kevin Stefanski noted earlier this week that a return action was expected in short order.
As a result, today’s update comes as little surprise. The Falcons’ decision to give Tagovailoa the Week 1 nod was largely seen as a move to give Penix time to ramp up more than a long-term declaration regarding the team’s 2026 pecking order at the quarterback spot. Instead of having a brief period atop the depth chart, the free agent addition will now take on a backup gig with Penix now healthy as well.
Shortly after his Dolphins release – one which generated a record-breaking dead money charge – Tagovailoa took a one-year pact with Atlanta. That deal (worth the veteran minimum) paved the way for a potential competition with Penix during the offseason. Penix’s long-running recovery from a partially torn ACL made that impossible through the spring and much of training camp, however. Now, head coach Kevin Stefanski has a full room of signal-callers available.
Veteran Cooper Rush struggled during his two starts. The lopsided score in Week 2 against the Panthers resulted in undrafted rookie Jack Strand seeing time late in the game, although he did not fare any better. As one of the NFL’s 0-2 teams, Atlanta will be looking for a significant step forward in terms of QB production from Week 3 onward. Strong play from Penix would of course be welcomed given the importance of 2026 in determining his long-term future with the Falcons.
Should Penix struggle or suffer another injury, though, Tagovailoa will represent an experienced No. 2 option. It will be interesting to see how things shake out with the Falcons’ quarterback room as the season progresses now that both of the team’s southpaw passers are in the fold.
