The Atlanta Falcons will keep four quarterbacks on their initial 53 man roster. Former Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Michael Penix Jr. continue to compete for ATL QB1 with only one week to go until the 2026 season opener.
Penix, who is coming off an ACL injury, was cleared for 11 on 11 during the last week of ATL’s last preseason game. He seems to be the preferred option over veteran QB Tua Tagovailoa. The Falcons were expected to round out their QB room with former Cowboy QB Cooper Rush until Tagovailoa was held out of practice with back tightness early in camp. That opened the door for undrafted rookie Jack Strand to impress, as GM Ian Cunningham said Strand did an “admirable” job throughout camp.
If the Falcons decide they are confident in the health of Penix and his 13.7 fantasy points per game from 2025 and name him the starter over Tagovailoa (12.6FPPG in 2025), they would likely cut Rush or Strand and stick with 3 QBs.
~Justin Teck
NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport expects Tua ...
The Atlanta Falcons have yet to name a starting quarterback ...
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (back) returned ...
This is a comically irresponsible prediction from a medical doctor about a player recovering from his third ACL injury (two to his right knee in college, one to his left knee last season). Despite limited practice involvement due to multiple past ACL injuries, Michael Penix Jr. remains expected to start the majority of games this season after averaging 13.7 Fantasy Points Per Game. Tua Tagovailoa takes the field first in the preseason opener, but his slim edge and historical 7.9 Accuracy Rating offer minimal job security.
Expect a volatile workload split driven by health and performance setting up a nightmare scenario for fantasy gamers, which will inevitably affect the skill position players in Atlanta from Bijan Robinson to Drake London to Kyle Pitts. Stay as far away from this QB room as possible and be sure to draft Gibbs over Bijan per the PlayerProfiler rankings.
What a mess. Adam Schefter reported that Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with back tightness, and soon after, the Falcons signed Cooper Rush for depth. Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. was seen Wednesday practicing in seven-on-seven drills but told local media that it would be another “another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage.”
On July 31, 2026, Falcons beat writer Marc Raimondi reported that Tua Tagovailoa “did a walkthrough period at about half speed this morning.” Though NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes Tagovailoa will “likely start” Week 1 for the Falcons, this is the ultimate stayaway quarterback room in all fantasy football formats.
Drake London‘s projection is holding for now, but he needs baseline competence from the QB position to produce Top-10 WR fantasy numbers.
The Atlanta Falcons have a full-blown quarterback competition on their hands, but Tua Tagovailoa has the upper hand to start Week 1 over Michael Penix Jr. due to his precise historical profile. Head coach Kevin Stefanski values accuracy above all else, aligning with Tagovailoa’s 73.4-percent True Completion Percentage (No. 12) rather than Penix’s career 59.6-percent completion rate.
While both lefties will see the field this year, fantasy managers drafting in dynasty superflex formats should lean into Tagovailoa if managing win-now teams. On the other hand, Penix Jr. continues to offer more long-term upside.
Michael Penix shared first-team reps in offseason practices but awaits clearance for full contact sessions after finishing last year with 13.7 Fantasy Points Per Game (No. 26). His restricted activity creates an opening for Tua Tagovailoa, who registered a 73.4-percent True Completion Percentage (No. 12) during his 2025 campaign.
Given Stefanski’s concerns and that Michael Penix is not yet cleared for 11-on-11s, it seems unlikely that Penix will be able to participate in mandatory team activities this month. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa is set up to secure the first team reps and establishes an edge ahead of summer training camp. Penix offers more long-term upside, but both players are left-handed and should generally be sidestepped in all formats.
The Falcons are preparing to open training camp without Michael Penix Jr., as the coaching staff maintains a patient “no rush” approach to his recovery. Although leadership suggests he is in a “good spot,” there is no definitive timeline for his return beyond a general hope for availability later in the preseason. According to Ryan, Atlanta expects Penix to be healthy “at some point in training camp.”
As a result, Tua Tagovailoa is currently acting as the primary quarterback and will likely start Week 1 if the Falcons continue to slow-play Penix’s recovery. Both Penix and Tagovailoa were Top-10 picks, but the organization is invested in Penix, while Tua was signed off the NFL scrap heap. Penix’s absence from camp is a buy low opportunity in superflex dynasty leagues.
