The Falcons have named QB Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter against the Steelers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Tagovailoa entered the summer as a heavy favorite for the starting job while QB Michael Penix worked back from his ACL tear. But a rough August nearly cost him the job.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Expect To See Penix, Too
Tagovailoa was seemingly competing against himself for the Week 1 nod. Penix wasn't cleared for 11-on-11 work until August 22.
But NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said in late August that Tagovailoa had been so bad that naming him the starter was "impossible." He seemingly salvaged the situation with a decent enough outing in the preseason finale, completing 7 of 8 passes for 95 yards.
Tagovailoa will be a bottom-barrel QB2 in Week 1 fantasy lineups and figures to be on a short leash. We're still projecting Penix to start more games this season.
