ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Atlanta Falcons will open the season with Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback, the team announced Monday.
The Falcons play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Acrisure Stadium.
Tagovailoa, who was signed in March, has been battling second-year player Michael Penix Jr. for the role of Week 1 starter. Penix is coming off surgery after a season-ending ACL injury.
Team officials said that although Penix is back healthy, his recovery period limited his ability to compete in 11-on-11 drills in preparation for the season opener.
As he enters his seventh year, questions pertaining to health and durability also surround Tagovailoa, who has struggled with concussions in the past.
Still, the Falcons were impressed enough with his performance in two preseason games to give him the nod. The 28-year-old former Miami Dolphins signal caller who led the league in passing in 2023 and completions in 2024 will helm a weapons-packed offense with a new offensive scheme.
Back in March, General Manager Ian Cunningham said that Tagovailoa would get a chance to earn the starting job.
“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,” Cunningham told reporters. ”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.”
For the season opener, Penix, 28, enters his third NFL season as a backup.
Besides him, the Falcons have quarterbacks Cooper Rush, 32, and 22-year-old rookie Jack Strand, who both saw extensive action in the preseason.
The Falcons are one of four teams with four quarterbacks on the roster. The others are the Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.
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