Falcons Steelers Week 1 Tua Tagovailoa Michael Penix Jr.
Falcons Steelers Week 1 Tua Tagovailoa Michael Penix Jr.
This time next week, the Atlanta Falcons will be playing football in Acrisure Stadium. But the Falcons have yet to name a starting quarterback, and right now, it seems to be anyone’s guess who will open the year as Atlanta’s QB1.
Like the Steelers, Atlanta kept four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. The general consensus has been that either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. would start for the Falcons, but both have dealt with health issues. Penix is recovering from a torn ACL and Tagovailoa missed time with a back injury early in training camp.
When he did play, Tagovailoa struggled, hence the delay in naming a starter. But Penix might not be fully healthy with his knee to start in Week 1.
It’s led Atlanta radio personality John Fricke of 929 The Game to speculate that the Falcons could give undrafted free agent rookie Jack Strand the starting nod in Week 1.
One week out… Falcons have not yet named a starter.
Tua did not win the job
Rush is a back-up
If Penix is a physical ‘no go’
Do they have time to prep Jack Strand w/ the 1st team to go v the Steelers?
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— John Fricke (@JohnFricke) September 6, 2026
While starting Strand seems like an extreme improbability, it feels like a toss-up right now between Tagovailoa and Penix for who will start against the Steelers next week. The one positive for the Steelers in preparing is that both are lefty quarterbacks. It’s unique to prepare for a lefty, and the Steelers can assume that the Falcons will be going with one in Week 1.
But which one is still up in the air and a big question mark. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski likely will name a starter early in the week, though there could be some gamemanship involved with a delay in naming a starter.
Right now, the Falcons are 3.5-point underdogs according to DraftKings, and that number could swing more favorably in Pittsburgh’s direction depending on who is named the starter. But it does make things slightly more difficult for the Steelers the longer they don’t know exactly which quarterback they’re facing.
The Steelers had a quarterback situation pop up the last time they played the Falcons in Week 1, when QB Russell Wilson tweaked a calf injury in practice leading up to Week 1. Justin Fields got the start and led the Steelers to a win, and while this situation isn’t exactly the same for Atlanta, someone is going to start who didn’t go into the week knowing they were the starter. The Steelers will hope history doesn’t repeat itself in that case.
Pittsburgh has yet to face Penix, while they’re plenty familiar with Tagovailoa, who they beat 28-15 on Monday Night Football last season when he was with the Dolphins. Whether his prior performance against the Steelers will factor into the decision or not remains to be seen, but it’s going to be interesting to see which way Stefanski winds up going.