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The Atlanta Falcons added a new quarterback in the lead-up to their Week 7 game against the San Francisco 49ers, and that raised questions about the entire depth chart.
Andy Dalton signed in Atlanta, and they also released Cooper Rush. The “Red Rifle” was coming to the ATL.
Many fans immediately wondered what that might mean for Tua Tagovailoa, and they got their first answer on Sunday morning.
The first thing that would reveal how the Falcons feel about their current quarterback situation would be their inactive report for the Week 7 clash with the 49ers. When that came out at 11:30 a.m. ET, it provided a few clues.
Falcons Make Tua Tagovailoa, Andy Dalton Decision
The Falcons have two quarterbacks active on Sunday and two quarterbacks inactive.
Michael Penix Jr. remains the starter, as expected.
Tagovailoa will officially be the QB2, backing up Penix against the 49ers.
Dalton and Jack Strand are both inactive.
#Falcons inactives for Week 7:
QB Jack Strand (emergency third quarterback)
ILB Divine Deablo
CB Avieon Terrell
QB Andy Dalton
WR Olamide Zaccheaus
RB Brian Robinson Jr.
DB Billy Bowman Jr.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) October 25, 2026
Falcons QB Depth Chart
Of note, Dalton isn’t even the QB3 on Sunday. He’s entirely inactive.
The undrafted rookie Strand gets the nod as the emergency third quarterback. That’s a player who is technically inactive but who can come into the game if both of the first two QBs get hurt.
This decision-making process shows what the Falcons are thinking behind Penix and Tagovailoa for Week 7.
The Falcons clearly didn’t think Dalton had enough time to learn their offense in less than a week since signing. They wouldn’t want him coming into the game under any circumstance against the 49ers.
In a way, though, that delays the learning process here. The only true way to know what Atlanta plans to do with Dalton will be to see where he stands in a couple of weeks. Once Dalton knows the offense, then the Falcons can decide whether he’s the QB2 or if it’ll just be Dalton in the emergency third quarterback role later in the season.
For now, Tagovailoa’s gig backing up Penix is safe.
Falcons Inactives
The Falcons’ inactive list looked like this on Sunday:
QB Jack Strand (emergency third quarterback)
ILB Divine Deablo
CB Avieon Terrell
QB Andy Dalton
WR Olamide Zaccheaus
RB Brian Robinson Jr.
DB Billy Bowman Jr.
Most notably, Kendal Daniels is active after a scary neck injury just last week.
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Billy Heyen Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor with focus on the NFL and MLB. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive work for The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register and Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. More about Billy Heyen
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