The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback room is crowded with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. following the former’s arrival from the Miami Dolphins in March 2026. Atlanta will only pay the league minimum, as the Dolphins owe Tagovailoa $54 million in guaranteed money in 2026.
Penix, who was awarded the QB1 role last season, will have to battle it out throughout the offseason to cement the starting job in 2026. Head coach Kevin Stefanski discusses the Falcons’ evolving offense for the upcoming season.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Michael Penix Jr. QB Battle: Who Will Start for the Falcons?
Penix, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, and his return date remains unclear. Kirk Cousins, who replaced Penix last season, was released in March 2026 after two seasons before signing a five-year, $172 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stefanski earlier said that Penix will have to battle Tagovailoa for the starting job and has reiterated the same in his latest press conference.
Stefanski said, “I think you’re constantly evaluating your players. I had a coach tell me that they’re evaluating everything we do, how we walk to the practice field, who we interact with, and how we interact. You’re constantly under evaluation. That’s no secret for our players. But the depth-chart-type questions, those really don’t factor in for me until you get into training camp. We’ll roll guys through different situations.
“This is professional football. Everybody understands that it’s a competitive sport. It’s a competitive world that we live in. So, the idea of fighting for jobs, fighting for roles, welcome to professional football, that’s nothing new for our players. They understand that. So that’s the fun part of our business, the competition that goes into it.
“There’s also ways to do that in the sense of helping the football team, which is the number one thing that’s important to me. Number one thing that’s important to those players is our team. Setting any type of roles and depth charts, that will come at the appropriate time.”
Penix started all 9 games he played for the Falcons last season, recording 1,982 passing yards, 9 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He ranked 31st in PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metrics with a 70.1 Impact score. Stefanski was hopeful about his recovery but could not give a timetable for his return. He talked about what he expects from his two left-handed quarterbacks.
“Yeah, I think just focus on what’s in front of them. So much of their jobs and their evaluation is going to be on a day-to-day basis. Treat every meeting, treat every practice like it’s a game. Put yourself in the game setting and give the best accounting of yourself that you can. Both guys are learning a new system, as are all the offensive players.
“So, there’s going to be a lot of building foundational knowledge for them throughout this offseason. That’s what I know Coach [Alex] Van Pelt is working very hard with the quarterback room and focusing on the foundational knowledge first. But, for any player, it’s about kind of being where your feet are and making sure you’re not getting too far ahead of yourself.”
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Tagovailoa was benched for the final three games in Miami after several inconsistent plays throughout the 2025 season. It was a year of instability for the former Dolphins QB, but he must ascend back to efficiency to secure a starting role.
The battle for the QB1 spot remains uncertain in Atlanta, and everything indicates that Tagovailoa could have an uncontested chance during the offseason.
