The Atlanta Falcons have named Tua Tagovailoa as their Week 1 starting quarterback, replacing Michael Penix Jr. who is recovering from a partially torn ACL. This marks the sixth different quarterback to start for the Falcons in Week 1 over the past six years. Tagovailoa has had issues staying on the field, playing at least 16 games in only one season as a pro, and will now lead the team into the 2026 season. The Falcons begin their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Atlanta Falcons have named Tua Tagovailoa as their Week 1 starting quarterback, marking the sixth different quarterback to start Week 1 for the team in six years. This decision comes after Michael Penix Jr., who was originally slated to start, suffered a partially torn ACL in Week 11 of the 2025 season against the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons' quarterback situation has been inconsistent over the past few years, with quarterbacks like Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Kirk Cousins, and Penix himself starting Week 1 at some point. With this latest change, quarterback coach Kevin Stefanski's decision to give Tagovailoa a chance to prove himself is now being put to the test.
Written for “Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Troubles” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 6719 · logged 2026-09-07
The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback situation is inconsistent, snake-bitten or insert your description here.
asserted
situation → bite → description
On Monday, the Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter as Michael Penix Jr. recovers from a partially torn ACL that he suffered in Week 11 of the 2025 season against the Carolina Panthers.
asserted
he → name → Panthers
Atlanta doesn’t seem as though it was willing to rush Penix back to the huddle and will give the nod to Tagovailoa.
asserted
it → seem → Tagovailoa
ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that Tagovailoa is the sixth different quarterback to start Week 1 for the Falcons.
asserted
Tagovailoa → note → Falcons
Matt Ryan started in Week 1 of the 2021 season – his final year with the Falcons before he signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
asserted
he → start → Colts
The team tried its best with Marcus Mariota in 2022 and Desmond Ridder in 2023.
asserted
team → try → 2023
Kirk Cousins won the starting job in 2024 and Penix began the 2025 season as the starter.
asserted
Penix → win → starter
The Falcons fired Raheem Morris and hired Kevin Stefanski as their head coach after he was let go by the Cleveland Browns.
asserted
he → fire → Browns
Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons after he was cut by the Miami Dolphins.
asserted
he → sign → Dolphins
Stefanski said during preseason he wanted Tagovailoa to go out and prove the doubters wrong.
asserted
doubters → say → preseason
"You want to prove people wrong," he said, via the team’s website.
asserted
he → want → website
"You have a chip on your shoulder.
asserted
You → have → shoulder
I think where I'm coming into this, where Tua's coming into this is, listen, this is not exactly how you thought it would go, but guess what, that's the reality, and how are we gonna respond?
asserted
we → think → what
I think that's what he's made of.
asserted
he → think → what
You look at his career, you look back at his college career, he's responded.
asserted
he → look → career
"
Tagovailoa isn’t exactly known for being able to stay on the field.
asserted
Tagovailoa → know → field
He only played at least 16 games in a season once – in 2023 when he was a Pro Bowler for the first time and led the Dolphins to an 11-6 record and a postseason berth.
asserted
he → play → record
Last season, he had 2,660 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 14 games.
asserted
he → have → games
Luckily, for the Falcons, the NFC South is as big of a crapshoot as one can get in the NFL.
asserted
one → get → NFL
The Panthers won the division last year with an 8-9 record.
asserted
Panthers → win → record
The Falcons haven’t won the division since 2016 when they last appeared in the Super Bowl.
asserted
they → win → Bowl
Atlanta begins the season Sunday on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
asserted
Atlanta → begin → Steelers
