Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will lead the Atlanta Falcons offense Week 1 after being named the starting quarterback. Tagovailoa had been working to earn the starting role with former Falcons first round pick Michael Penix still out with injury.
Penix will remain inactive for the team during it’s first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers with Cooper Rush serving as the backup quarterback.
Despite winning the job, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t guaranteeing anything for Tagovailoa outside of the game on Sunday.
“I’ve got blinders on, so I see Week 1 in front of me and after this one, then we’ll start on the next one and those type of things,” Stefanski said according to ESPN. “So, I don’t think it’s fair to really go past this week on anything related to our football team.”
Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons this offseason after being released by the Miami Dolphins who took on a record $99.2 million in dead cap.
The former Alabama quarterback played six seasons in the NFL all with Miami where he had his fair share of ups and downs. While battling a hip injury and multiple concussions, Tagovailoa was an effective player when healthy.
During the 2023 season Tagovailoa lead the NFL in passing yards with 4,624 and completion percentage posting a mark of 72.9%.
But his success came crashing down in 2025 as he continued to battle concussions while seeing his play on the field diminish. He would throw 15 interceptions last season and be benched in favor of Quinn Ewers to end the season and his career in Miami.
Through the struggles, Tagovailoa will have another chance to prove his worth as a starter in the league this Sunday.
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