The Atlanta Falcons already know who will likely start at quarterback for them in Week 1, and the decision does not sound like a tough one at all.
Tua Tagovailoa is almost certain to be the Falcons’ starting quarterback for Week 1, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The reasoning is simple: Michael Penix Jr. still has not been medically cleared as he continues to recover from his ACL tear.
“Tua Tagovailoa, who now is healthy and back in practice, has gotten all the first-team reps,” Rapoport said. “It certainly seems like, based on the way this thing is tracking, that he will likely be the Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons. Michael Penix is still recovering from an ACL injury. He has not yet been cleared. Until he is medically cleared, he is not the starter.”
From Inside Training Camp Live: A look at the #Vikings and #Falcons QB situations… with the likelihood that Tua Tagovailoa is the Week 1 starter for ATL as Michael Penix focuses on getting healthy before he jumps into the mix. pic.twitter.com/j9SfF24tTe
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2026
Tagovailoa had been dealing with his own injury ahead of training camp, but it appears to have been minor, as Rapoport says he has recovered from it.
The Falcons signed Tagovailoa in March as insurance while they waited for Penix to recover from his ACL injury. At the time, there was a belief that the two would wind up competing for the job in training camp, a battle Tagovailoa was confident of winning. It seems he might have simply won it by default now.
During his final season with the Dolphins in 2025, Tagovailoa passed for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, while completing 67.7% of his throws across 14 games.
