The Falcons will begin their preseason tonight. Tua Tagovailoa is set to handle starting duties for the game, although it is not yet clear if he will get the nod at the onset of the regular season.
“We’re not there to name a starter for Week 1,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said of the quarterback situation (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi). “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Tagovailoa was in position to compete for the QB1 gig this offseason alongside Michael Penix Jr. The latter’s knee has prevented him from being able to handle a full workload through spring practices and into training camp, however. Penix recently encountered a setback which has added to his time on the sidelines.
The 2024 No. 8 pick battled numerous injuries during his college career, and he was limited to nine games last season. Penix said he received an encouraging long-term evaluation of his ACL from a doctor prior to the start of training camp. He has still not been cleared for full 11-on-11 work this summer, though. Penix noted he feels he “can do just about anything except for take a hit” at this point.
As a result, Tagovailoa has long been viewed as the de facto winner of Atlanta’s quarterback competition. The former Dolphin saw his tenure in Miami come to an end with a release which yielded a record-breaking $99.2MM dead money charge. With nearly all of his 2026 compensation on the Dolphins’ books, Tagovailoa inked a one-year Atlanta deal worth just $1.22MM upon hitting the open market. A strong showing in Stefanski’s scheme could help the 28-year-old rebuild his stock ahead of free agency next spring.
The Falcons have ensured plenty of stability on offense with extensions being worked out for receiver Drake London, guard Matthew Bergeron, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts this offseason. The quarterback spot is a question mark entering the season, and even this deep into the summer Tagovailoa has not yet officially won the starting gig. He is nevertheless still on track for that role as the preseason begins.
