playMarc RaimondiSep 7, 2026, 08:19 AM ETCloseMarc Raimondi’s first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn’t his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America,” which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsTua Tagovailoa will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback to begin the season.Beyond that, Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said he has “blinders” when it comes to any long-term decisions beyond Atlanta’s opener Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers.”I’ve got the 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.
“So, I don’t think it’s fair to really go past this week on anything related to our football team.”The Falcons announced their decision Monday morning, ending a monthslong competition between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.Stefanski said Penix, who is recovering from a knee injury that ended his 2025 season, will be inactive in Week 1 while Cooper Rush will serve as Tagovailoa’s backup against the Steelers.”I think every decision I make for the football team, you’re taking in all the information available to you,” Stefanski said. “Sometimes information changes and certainly with a decision like this, you want to make sure that you’re taking all the information from the spring to the summer to how people are performing — those type of things. So felt really strongly about this group and feel good about where we’re heading.”Atlanta has had a different Week 1 starting quarterback in each of the past six seasons.The Falcons signed Tagovailoa to a one-year, $1.3 million contract in the offseason. He was released in March by the Miami Dolphins, who took on a record $99.2 million in dead cap to part ways with the six-year veteran.Penix sustained a torn ACL in November 2025 and underwent surgery.
He was not cleared for 11-on-11 team periods until the final week of training camp and did not play in any preseason games.Stefanski intimated that while Penix is technically cleared, he might not be as ready as he needs to be for game action.”Mike is getting better and better and better, and I’m very proud of him for, again, for how far he’s come,” Stefanski said. “But this will continue to be something that we work together [on] with Mike.”We’re all on the same page, which is great — between myself, Mike, medical, you name it. Everybody feels good about where Mike is heading and he’ll continue just to work like crazy. And that’s his focus.
And I think he’s told you guys that he’s going to focus on trying to get better every single day.”Penix said Monday that he told Stefanski he is “not where I want to be right now” but that he’s “really close.”Tagovailoa started training camp with a tight back and missed the first week of practices, which was a minor setback.Tagovailoa started two preseason games for the Falcons. He got just nine plays in his first game against the Denver Broncos, but was 7-of-8 for 95 yards in the second against the Dolphins. Tagovailoa fumbled a snap in both of those appearances and was unable to push the ball downfield with regularity, which was also an issue in training camp practices.Tagovailoa, 28, led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) in 2023 and in completion percentage (72.9%) in 2024. But he struggled with injuries, specifically concussions, and threw 15 interceptions last season.
In his career, Tagovailoa has completed 68% of his passes for 18,166 yards with 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions over six seasons.
