The Atlanta Falcons have formally named Tua Tagovailoa their starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, choosing the newly signed veteran over Michael Penix Jr. as the team opens its season.
The Falcons-Steelers game is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, airing on Fox. The matchup has not yet been played.
Why Tua and not Penix
Tagovailoa arrived in Atlanta as an offseason free-agent signing after Miami released him following a coaching change with the Dolphins. Penix, who started for the Falcons for stretches of the past two seasons, is still working back from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 campaign early, and the team has opted to hand the job to the healthier, more experienced option to open the year rather than rush Penix back into a starting role.
The decision gives Atlanta a proven starter with years of NFL snaps under center for a season opener against a Pittsburgh defense that will be looking to establish an early tone. How the Falcons handle the quarterback room once Penix is fully cleared remains an open question, but for now the job is Tagovailoa’s.
Sources: Yahoo Sports · The Falcoholic
