Falcons name sixth different Week 1 starting quarterback in six years
On Monday, the Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter as Michael Penix Jr.recovers from a partially torn ACL that he suffered in Week 11 of the 2025 season against the Carolina Panthers.
Atlanta doesn’t seem as though it was willing to rush Penix back to the huddle and will give the nod to Tagovailoa.ZERO BS.JUST DAKICH.
TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD.DOWNLOAD NOW!Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs drills during an NFL football training camp practice Monday, Aug.
24, 2026, in Flowery Branch, Ga.(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that Tagovailoa is the sixth different quarterback to start Week 1 for the Falcons.
Matt Ryan started in Week 1 of the 2021 season – his final year with the Falcons before he signed with the Indianapolis Colts.The team tried its best with Marcus Mariota in 2022 and Desmond Ridder in 2023.
Kirk Cousins won the starting job in 2024 and Penix began the 2025 season as the starter.The team was in flux during the 2026 offseason.The Falcons fired Raheem Morris and hired Kevin Stefanski as their head coach after he was let go by the Cleveland Browns.Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons after he was cut by the Miami Dolphins.Stefanski said during preseason he wanted Tagovailoa to go out and prove the doubters wrong."You want to prove people wrong," he said, via the team’s website.
"You have a chip on your shoulder.I think where I'm coming into this, where Tua's coming into this is, listen, this is not exactly how you thought it would go, but guess what, that's the reality, and how are we gonna respond? I think that's what he's made of.
You look at his career, you look back at his college career, he's responded."Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa calls the snap against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Aug.28, 2026.
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWSTagovailoa isn’t...