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Tua Tagovailoa has won the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback job.
The Falcons announced Monday that Tagovailoa will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s season opener, ending his months-long competition with fellow left-hander Michael Penix Jr. It also gives Atlanta a new Week 1 starter for the fifth consecutive season.
The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Atlanta this offseason after the Miami Dolphins released him in March and absorbed a record $99.2 million dead-cap charge in the process.
Penix entered the competition at a disadvantage after tearing his ACL last November, an injury that ended his 2025 season after nine appearances and kept him out of 11-on-11 team periods until the final week of training camp.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Michael Penix Jr. (2024-2025)
Neither quarterback entered the competition coming off his best football. Penix earned a 59.3 PFF grade in 2025, 38th among 43 quarterbacks. Tagovailoa finished the year with a 61.7 PFF grade that ranked 35th among the same group.
The former Dolphins quarterback still showed flashes of the accuracy that has defined the best stretches of his career, though. His 21.1% perfectly accurate throw rate ranked fifth among his peers, while his 63.0% accurate throw rate ranked ninth. But that accuracy came within a passing game that rarely asked him to push the ball downfield, as he threw the ball just 7.2 yards down the field on average, the eighth-lowest mark in football.
That stands in stark stylistic contrast to Penix, who has consistently looked to stretch the field, dating back to his time at Washington. Penix posted a 10.6-yard average depth of target as a rookie in 2024 before settling at 8.8 yards in 2025, still a top-15 mark. That aggressiveness came with accuracy issues, though, as his 51.9% accuracy rate ranked 41st among 43 quarterbacks last season.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Michael Penix Jr. (2024-2025)
Tua Tagovailoa vs Michael Penix Jr. 78.6 Passing grade clean pocket 83.1 (better) 43.7 (better) Passing grade under pressure 40.6 72.2 (better) Passing grade vs. no blitz 70.4 59.4 Passing grade vs. blitz 63.0 (better) 76.3 (better) Passing grade on throws 2.5s 63.1 (better)That contrast gives Atlanta a markedly different style of quarterback to build around. The veteran’s game is at its best when he can operate quickly and on schedule rather than extend plays or consistently attack downfield.
Last season, he earned a 77.5 PFF grade on throws released in less than 2.5 seconds, compared with a 53.6 grade when he held the ball longer. The same drop-off appeared against pressure: His 75.8 clean-pocket grade ranked 29th at the position, while his 42.7 grade under pressure ranked 32nd.
Availability remains another concern for both quarterbacks. Tagovailoa has played a full season just once through six NFL campaigns, while Penix’s latest knee injury added another setback to his lengthy injury history.
Wins Above Replacement
Tua Tagovailoa · QB
-0.14 0.84 1.82 2.80 3.79 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2020 · 0.49 WAR · Rank 31 of 83 at QB 2020 · 0.49 WAR · Rank 31 of 83 at QB 0.49 2021 · 1.08 WAR · Rank 22 of 85 at QB 2021 · 1.08 WAR · Rank 22 of 85 at QB 1.08 2022 · 2.50 WAR · Rank 10 of 86 at QB 2022 · 2.50 WAR · Rank 10 of 86 at QB 2.50 2023 · 3.38 WAR · Rank 4 of 85 at QB 2023 · 3.38 WAR · Rank 4 of 85 at QB 3.38 2024 · 0.16 WAR · Rank 33 of 69 at QB 2024 · 0.16 WAR · Rank 33 of 69 at QB 0.16 2025 · 0.98 WAR · Rank 25 of 82 at QB 2025 · 0.98 WAR · Rank 25 of 82 at QB 0.98 Player WAR Positional avg Select a season for WAR rank Avg QB (200+ snaps)The veteran also put together a clean preseason, completing 10 of 13 passes for 117 yards at 9.0 yards per attempt and a 103.7 passer rating. He did not record a touchdown, interception, big-time throw or turnover-worthy play despite facing pressure on 46.2% of his dropbacks.