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Falcons Name Tua as Week 1 Starter Over Penix
Confirmed
In Short: The Atlanta Falcons have announced Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Atlanta, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Atlanta Falcons have named Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to reports. The decision comes after a stop-and-start, injury-impacted quarterback battle between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., with Penix coming off a season-ending ACL injury.
Team officials stated that Penix's recovery period limited his ability to compete in 11-on-11 drills, despite his return to full health. However, the Falcons remain optimistic about both quarterbacks, with head coach Kevin Stefanski emphasizing the importance of Tagovailoa's veteran experience. 'You want to prove people wrong,' Stefanski said of Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa, who signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Falcons in free agency, will make his official debut in the season opener. The 26-year-old has been praised for his willingness to compete and mentor younger players in the team's quarterback room. 'He's been awesome,' Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said of Tagovailoa.
Despite the decision, Penix remains a key part of the team's quarterback depth. The Falcons have a total of four quarterbacks on the roster, including Cooper Rush and Jack Strand, who saw extensive action in the preseason. The coaching staff divided work between the two signal-callers, with Penix receiving the majority of 7-on-7 reps and Tagovailoa taking the lion's share of full-team work.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Tagovailoa, who was signed in March, has been battling second-year player Michael Penix Jr. for the role of Week 1 starter.
- ”We’re excited to have Tua, but we’re excited to have all the players that we were able to get in this free agent class.” Penix, 28, enters his third NFL season as a backup for the season opener.
- The Falcons are planning to split reps between their two signal-callers across the next couple of months, but that doesn't mean they see each other as true rivals.
- But it also breeds respect, as unlike Penix and Kirk Cousins, the two signal-callers have quickly developed a strong rapport.
- While addressing the media after OTA's on Tuesday, not only was Penix asked about his progresses, he addressed the state of the quarterback room amid the QB battle.
- Expected to go head-to-head with Penix for the starting nod, he essentially won the job de facto.
- He also started the Falcons' first and final preseason games.
- Cunningham also noted that this decision acts as "a little bit of an insurance policy" because neither Tagovailoa nor Penix were healthy enough at the start of training camp to be full-go in 11-on-11 work.