Tua Tagovailoa Gets His Next NFL Opportunity as Falcons Name Week 1 Starter

The Atlanta Falcons have finally made the call at quarterback.

Earlier this off-season, Tua Tagovailoa was shown the door by the Miami Dolphins as they looked to escape the quarterback’s massive contract. That sent the lefty on a new path, eventually landing him in Atlanta, where he spent the summer battling for the QB1 job.

Tagovailoa went head-to-head with another left-handed signal-caller in Michael Penix Jr., with both quarterbacks looking to make their case to new front-office boss Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski. Now, the Falcons have finally made the call.

On Monday, Atlanta announced that Tua Tagovailoa, who signed with the team this offseason after being released by the Miami Dolphins, will get the nod under center in Week 1 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Tom Pelissero took to X to share the news.

It’s been anything but a smooth ride to QB1 for the Falcons. Atlanta’s quarterback situation has been a roller coaster since the opening day of training camp, and honestly, it hasn’t been a particularly fun one.

Tagovailoa is expected to have a short leash despite winning the starting job. Michael Penix Jr. is still working his way back from a knee injury and, while he appears to be close to full strength, he simply hasn’t had the same opportunity to make his case this summer. Tagovailoa has taken the bulk of the reps, giving him the edge heading into Week 1.

The QB carousel started spinning before camp even got going. On Day 1, the Falcons announced that Trevor Siemian had been released with an injury settlement, Tagovailoa was sidelined with lower-back stiffness, and the team brought in Cooper Rush. With Penix not medically cleared until the final week of camp, Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand were left to handle the reps during that opening stretch.

New head coach Kevin Stefanski refused to name a starter throughout the preseason, and Penix’s late medical clearance ultimately meant he never took a single preseason snap. That left Tagovailoa with the clearest runway to make his case for the job.

According to Ian Rapoport, neither Tagovailoa nor Penix should be viewed as anything more than a QB2 in fantasy football, regardless of who ultimately takes the majority of the snaps this season.

For Tagovailoa, though, the immediate focus is Week 1. Atlanta opens the season on the road in one of the NFL’s tougher environments: Pittsburgh.

The Steelers still boast a nasty pass rush, which could make for a rough welcome to Atlanta for Tagovailoa. Still, after everything that’s happened this offseason, there’s one thing he can feel good about: He’s QB1 when the Falcons kick off the season.

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