Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski named Tua Tagovailoa the team’s starting quarterback for the first game of the season on Monday and that decision was not made over any objection from Michael Penix. Penix was cleared for 11-on-11 work near the end of August and the quarterback said on Monday that he told Stefanski that he still does not feel like he’s fully recovered from last year’s torn ACL. Penix, who will be inactive in Week 1, said that he wants “to be stronger” and that it isn’t fair to the team to try to go out there until “there’s no doubt in my mind that I trust my knee.” “I just told him I’m not where I want to be right now ,” Penix said, via the team’s website. “And I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help the team win football games. And I’m really close. Really close.” Penix has recovered from two other torn ACLs and said that he feels like he tried to come back too soon in the past, so he wants to avoid a similar situation this time. That opens the door for Tagovailoa to seize the job more convincingly than he did this summer, but that’s a risk that Penix appears to be more comfortable with than any having to do with his health
The Falcons will be starting Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1 against the Steelers and they won't be turning to Michael Penix if they decide to make a change during the game
What does a successful season look like for these Super Bowl longshots? Las Vegas has been handicapping the upcoming season since the prior concluded in February and, through Super Bowl odds, expressed how it perceives each team. Seven teams held +10000 odds or worse. Unfortunately, four of those teams were on last year's list, too. The following is in order from shortest to longest odds: Tennessee enters the second year with quarterback Cam Ward and the first year with coach Robert Saleh. At the bare minimum, the objective should be not to be on this list next year. A success would be feeling good about the Ward-Saleh pairing heading into 2027. The Titans spent heavily, particularly on the defensive side of the ball ($125 million total guaranteed). It may take some time for that group to come together, but the hope is that they adopt Saleh's hard-nosed demeanor. If all goes as planned, the franchise will be tasked with replacing pieces of the operation next offseason rather than the operation itself, positioning them to take a big leap within the AFC South. The vibes around the Falcons are not great, but few can boast the collection of elite offensive skill talent -- wide receiver Drake London , running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts -- assembled in Atlanta. The best possible outcome would be having clarity on Michael Penix Jr. , one way or another, entering the offseason. If Penix is fully healthy and establishes himself as an investment-caliber quarterback, it would allow them to funnel resources elsewhere. Alternatively, if neither Tua Tagovailoa nor Penix inspires confidence, it would open the door for the team to go in another direction at the position. In either scenario, the Falcons would be staring down a full season from edge rushers James Pearce Jr . and Jalon Walker , as well as the hope that a new quarterback brings. Atlanta will have the most salary cap space by a wide margin this offseason, according to Spotrac. Las Vegas' best possible outlook boils down to the success of No. 1 overall selection Fernando Mendoza and first-year coach Klint Kubiak. Despite Kirk Cousins being named the Week 1 starter, Mendoza must see the field this season and showcase the skill set that enabled him to be drafted so early, which in turn creates optimism as the 2027 campaign begins. Beyond Mendoza, the Raiders bringing in another supreme talent with an early draft pick as part of the long-term vision would be another step in the right direction. Las Vegas ranks among the top-10 in projected salary cap space as well. The Browns had arguably the best rookie class a year ago, and the early returns on the 2026 draft class have been promising as well. The limitations at quarterback have capped the potential of this season, but they have positioned themselves well to bring in that player next offseason through the trade of Myles Garrett . In an ideal world, Cleveland would be feeling good about the collection of offensive rookie talent -- offensive tackle Spencer Fano and wide receivers Denzel Boston , KC Concepcion -- after the season, while simultaneously being in position to draft its quarterback of choice in 2027. In each of the past two years, the franchise has been in the top six overall of a one-quarterback draft, but failed to secure that player. It is important to note that the 2027 season would be the first without quarterback Deshaun Watson on the roster since 2021. New York is the most difficult to project because what is best for the franchise is not what is best for the coaching staff. Aaron Glenn knows his job is on the line and will be desperate for wins. Too many wins, however, could conceivably put a potential franchise quarterback outside of the organization's reach. They have three first-round picks to move up if another team is willing to deal, but what if it is like the 2024 NFL Draft, where every team in the top three overall selected a quarterback, and there was no other option? Could th
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Training camp opened with four, and potentially five, NFL quarterback competitions. In the end, all five jobs went to the older of the two primary contenders. The first decision came in Minnesota, where Kyler Murray prevailed over 2024 top-10 selection J.J. McCarthy in the first competition to be resolved, before the first preseason game. The backup job there also has apparently gone to the older player, with Carson Wentz seemingly leapfrogging McCarthy. (The Vikings have yet to release their Week 1 depth chart.) Minnesota will enter the season with three former high first-round picks in their quarterback room. Murray was No. 1 overall in 2019, and Wentz was the second overall pick in 2016. The next decision was made by the Browns, where Deshaun Watson was made the starter (at least for Week 1 and likely Week 2) two weeks ago today, over 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. Watson was the 12th overall pick in 2017. Last week, the Raiders finally declared that Kirk Cousins, who entered the league as a fourth-round pick in 2012, would start Week 1 over Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in 2026. And now the Falcons have gone with Tua Tagovailoa, pick No. 5 in 2020, over Michael Penix Jr., the eighth overall selection in 2024. That one feels even more tenuous than Watson in Cleveland; the Falcons were hoping Penix would be ready to go. Ultimately, they decided he wasn’t — and Tua got the nod over Cooper Rush (who’s technically older than Tua). The fifth competition never became one, because Jacoby Brissett got a new deal done before a hold in gave Gardner Minshew or Carson Beck a chance to learn the new offense and potentially supplant Brissett. In many situations, winning the starting job to start the season means securing the privilege of eventually being benched. That’s a very real possibility for Watson, Cousins, and Tagovailoa. The safest of them all is Murray, who was likely signed to be the starter — and who is playing for a team that wants to have the same quarterback in place for all 17 regular-season games
Falcons lock Tua Tagovailoa as Week 1 starter, bumping Michael Penix Jr. to backup, while keeping key offensive weapons Bijan Robinson and Drake London in the lineup
Penix (knee) won't start the season opener Sunday in Pittsburgh, after the Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their top quarterback heading into Week 1, Will McFadden and Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports. Though Penix is expected to receive the opportunity to start at some point in 2026, he'll have to wait at least one more week before getting his chance while he continues to work his way back from the torn ACL he sustained last November. Penix didn't play in the preseason and wasn't cleared to take part in 11-on-11 drills until Aug. 22, so he'll need to get some full practices under his belt before the Falcons consider elevating him into the starting role over Tagovailoa, who completed 10 of 13 pass attempts for 117 yards in two exhibition contests but fumbled twice and generally struggled to push the ball downfield during the preseason and training camp. The Falcons kept four quarterbacks on their roster following the preseason, so Cooper Rush and Jack Strand will be available as backup options if Penix isn't ready to serve as Tagovailoa's understudy in the season opener
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) will be inactive for Sunday's season opener against Pittsburgh, head coach Kevin Stefanski said, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter. Tua Tagovailoa will start, with Cooper Rush serving as Atlanta's No. 2 quarterback. Penix spent most of the offseason and training camp working his way back from ACL surgery before finally being cleared for full-team work in late August. He did not play in any of Atlanta's three preseason games. Stefanski declined to put a timeline on what comes next for Penix, but said he is "very, very confident" in the team's plan for him and feels good about where he is right now. Penix started nine games last season, throwing for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions
With the first game of the season only nine days away, the Falcons still haven’t named a starting quarterback. The competition, ostensibly, is between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. But how, as Simms said on Thursday’s PFT Live , can it be a competition when Penix hasn’t been able to compete? The Falcons published their weekly media schedule on Friday, and there will be a “starting quarterback press conference” next Wednesday. Obviously, the identity of the starter will be known by then. Our guess is that it will happen early in the week, probably on Monday, with the announcement coming Tuesday morning at the earliest. And if Penix still isn’t ready to go as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, the likely options are Tua and Cooper Rush. (I’d roll the dice with undrafted rookie Jack Strand, but that’s possibly one of the many reasons why I don’t run a team.) Here’s where the situation can get very interesting. If the Falcons decide to go with Rush, who is 9-7 in 16 career starts, why even keep Tua on the team? His $1.215 million base salary isn’t guaranteed. They could cut him, and he’d still get the full $54 million he’s owed by the Dolphins for 2026. It made sense to sign Tua. He was cheap. He beat the Falcons in Atlanta last year. When everything is working as planned, he can perform at a high level. When, however, things go sideways ( e.g. , if the first read isn’t there), Tua tends to get happy feet. The Falcons gave it a try. Tua gave it a try. If he can’t beat out Rush for the Week 1 start in Pittsburgh (where Tua made his last start for the Dolphins last December), there’s no reason to keep him on the roster. Frankly, if Tua falls behind Rush, Tua shouldn’t want to stay
The Falcons have named five team captains for 2026. While it’s not necessarily a shock, there are no quarterbacks among the group. Running back Bijan Robinson, offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom, safety Jessie Bates III, linebacker Divine Deablo, and kicker Nick Folk earned the honor through a vote from their teammates. For Robinson, Deablo, and Folk, it’s a first-time honor. Lindstrom has been a captain three times, while Bates is now a four-time captain for the Falcons. With the quarterback competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. apparently still ongoing, neither player was voted a captain this year. While Tagovailoa has had an advantage in the competition with Penix recovering from a torn ACL, the former Dolphins QB has not been able to secure the job. The Falcons will open the season on the road against the Steelers on Sept. 13
The Falcons plan for Penix (knee) to start "eventually" this season, but head coach Kevin Stefanski has yet to decide whether Penix or Tua Tagovailoa will direct the offense Week 1 in Pittsburgh, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports. Penix didn't suit up for the preseason while completing his recovery from Nov. 25 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, but he was cleared to take part on 11-on-11 drills just under two weeks ago and has been able to get some reps in with the first-team offense. Head coach Kevin Stefanski plans to continue evaluating both Penix and Tagovailoa in practices this week and next before naming a starter. Because of Penix's limitations for much of training camp, Tagovailoa initially appeared to be a strong bet to open the season as the Falcons' starter, but a poor preseason in which he fumbled twice and struggled to push the ball down the field has thus far prevented him from securing the Week 1 nod
The Raiders named Kirk Cousins their Week 1 starting quarterback on Wednesday, but his former team has not made the same call. Falcons General Manager Ian Cunningham said “not yet” when asked at a press conference if the team has made a choice between Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa for their game against the Steelers. “Ultimately, when the coaches are ready , when the players are ready, we will make that decision,” Cunningham said. Penix was cleared for football activities after recovering from a torn ACL over a week ago, but did not play in the team’s final preseason game. That lack of work was mitigated by Tagovailoa’s ups and downs while in game action last month. Tagovailoa also dealt with a back injury early in camp and the extended looks that Jack Strand and Cooper Rush received over the summer resulted in them making the cut to the 53-man roster as well. Cunningham said that having Strand and Rush provides “a little bit of an insurance policy” and that seems wise given the injury histories of the other two quarterbacks. That only leaves the decision of who they’ll be insuring on September 13
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is expected to eventually take over as the starter under center, according to Cameron Wolfe. Penix is still working his way back from a partially torn left ACL from last year. He was cleared to begin doing team drills as of last weekend. Wolfe mentions that he believes it's too soon for Penix to start in Week 1, but it doesn't sound like it'll take him too long before he's ready to go. The expectation is that Tua Tagovailoa will begin the season as the starter while Penix gets fully healthy. The 26-year-old is likely still viewed as the future in Atlanta, but they need to make sure he's healthy first
