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Falcons news: When fans should expect Atlanta to name their Week 1 starting QB
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- Falcons news: When fans should expect Atlanta to name their Week 1 starting QB
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The race for the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback job between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. is going down to the wire ahead of the season opener for the 2026 NFL season.
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Tagovailoa prepares for the seventh season of his NFL career, his first with the Falcons. He spent the first six years with the Miami Dolphins before the team cut him in the offseason. Eventually, he signed a one-year, $1.215 million contract with Atlanta.
On the other hand, Penix is getting back up to speed after a partially torn ACL ended his 2025 campaign early. He showed promise prior to the injury, giving Atlanta hope that he can return to that form following a successful rehab.
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NFL insider Jeremy Fowler provided an update during his appearance on The Insiders show via NFL Network. He presented the pros and cons of Kevin Stefanski deciding between the two quarterbacks.
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"I suspect as early as Monday, when Kevin Stefanski addresses the media, that he could announce this thing. I know Stefanski has long considered waiting until he had to release more of an official depth chart for Week 1, which is typically on a Wednesday. But I'm not sure he waits that long at this point because players will be in the building on Monday. They're also going to address the media, so they could get through this weekend where the team is off," Fowler said.
"Come Monday, he really has to decide: Does Tua's up and down play, even though he's a veteran, is that enough? Or with Michael Penix, who's got maybe the more upside talent, the youth, but he just got back to 11-man work, still hasn't really taken any sort of contact. So are they comfortable with his first contact being in game action and not in preseason action? They have to determine that."
Atlanta seeks to improve on their 8-9 record from the previous two seasons. They also intend to make the playoffs after an eight-year absence and end their nine-year NFC South title drought.
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The Falcons' regular season commences on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.
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