We're probably looking at Tagovailoa opening the 2026 season as the Falcons' starting quarterback, giving him modest appeal in Superflex/two-QB leagues. From 2022-24, he averaged around 20 Fantasy points per game (six-point TDs) before nosediving in 2025 to 14.3. The Falcons will probably ask him to do a lot of the same things he did in Miami: make pre-snap reads, get the ball out fast, and lean on his top targets, in this case Drake London and Kyle Pitts. There will be weeks where Tagovailoa is decent, but not enough of them to prioritize him in one-QB Fantasy formats. He's a mid-rounder in those two-QB formats.
Tagovailoa (oblique) is considered day-to-day due to the strained oblique that he suffered during Thursday's practice, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.
Tagovailoa went to the ground during individual drills Thursday and then grabbed at his back after getting to his feet. Subsequently, he missed the rest of the session while reserve QB Cooper Rush handled all the reps with the first-team offense. Tagovailoa officially was a limited participant in the Falcons' second practice of Week 1 prep, and the potential now exists for him to join Michael Penix (knee) in street clothes this weekend. The team may make a decision on Tagovailoa's status as soon as Friday's injury report, and if he's ruled out, Rush would be in line to direct Atlanta's offense Sunday at Pittsburgh.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Dealing with oblique inujry
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Tagovailoa was limited at Thursday's practice by an oblique injury, according to the Falcons' official site.
It appeared Tagovailoa was dealing with a back injury, but it turns out he's actually tending to an oblique issue. This is a curveball for the Falcons, who are already shorthanded at quarterback with Michael Penix (knee) out for the opener. With Tagovailoa tending to the injury, the Falcons gave all the first-team reps to Cooper Rush on Thursday. Suddenly, Friday's injury report becomes one of the most impactful ones across the whole league as the Falcons could be down their top two quarterbacks for Week 1 if Tagovailoa doesn't bounce back quickly.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Week 1 status in doubt due to back
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Tagovailoa (back) could cede the Week 1 starting role to Cooper Rush, who took all of the first-team reps with the offense Thursday after Tagovailoa exited early due to a back injury, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Tagovailoa was named Atlanta's starter for Sunday's regular-season opener earlier in the week, but he went down grabbing his back in individual drills Thursday and subsequently sat out the remainder of practice. The Falcons are now preparing to head into Week 1 with the third-stringer Rush under center, as Tua is in danger of joining Michael Penix (knee) on the sidelines. If Tagovailoa is ruled out, Jack Strand would serve as Rush's backup this weekend.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Experiences possible back discomfort
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Tagovailoa touched his back and sat down briefly during individual drills Thursday, then wasn't seen throwing again during the portion of practice open to media, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Raimondi cautions that only a small portion of practice is open to the media, but it's also possible that Tagovailoa was shut down for the remainder of practice after potentially hurting his back. The 28-year-old quarterback was named the starter for Sunday's season opener earlier in the week, as Michael Penix (knee) determined that he isn't ready for game action yet. Tagovailoa's official practice participation will be worth monitoring Thursday and Friday. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are Atlanta's alternatives under center.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Accurate in preseason finale
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Tagovailoa completed seven of eight passes for 95 yards in Friday's 17-12 preseason win over the Dolphins. He also rushed once for no gain and lost a fumble.
Tagovailoa played the first quarter of Atlanta's preseason finale and completed all but one pass, but two of Atlanta's three possessions during that span ended in fumbles. Following an opening-drive Brian Robinson rushing touchdown, Tua fumbled on the first play of the next drive and Robinson fumbled to end Atlanta's third possession. Michael Penix (knee) has gained clearance to participate in 11-on-11 drills, but the 2024 first-round pick has yet to progress to game availability. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has yet to name a Week 1 starter between Penix and Tagovailoa, the latter of whom didn't throw a touchdown pass in two preseason outings.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Starting preseason Week 3
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Coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Tagovailoa will start Friday's preseason game at Miami, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Fellow QB Michael Penix recently was cleared for team drills in practice as he continues to ramp up his activity level following last season's torn ACL. Stefanski relayed that Penix won't play preseason Week 3, which will give Tagovailoa another chance to stake a claim to the Falcons' starting quarterback gig. Stefanski also told Kendall that he'll name a starter "whenever they tell me I have to," so the competition appears to be a toss-up at the moment.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Penix cleared for team drills, setting stage for QB competition
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Tagovailoa's teammate, Michael Penix (knee), is in line to return to 11-on-11 drills in Monday's practice, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Penix had been participating in practice since training camp began but hadn't yet been cleared for contact or full-team work. However, coach Kevin Stefanski relayed Saturday that the QB has been given the green light to practice without restrictions. With one preseason game remaining, the Falcons have yet to settle on a starting quarterback, and Penix's looming return to team drills sets the stage for him to have an opportunity to compete with Tagovailoa on equal footing ahead of Week 1. It remains to be seen what the team's plans are for the two signal-callers in Friday's exhibition finale against the Dolphins, and at this stage Stefanski hasn't outlined a timeline for when he'll make a call on his starter for Atlanta's Sept. 13 contest against the Steelers.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Sits out second preseason game
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Tagovailoa didn't play in Saturday's 34-6 preseason win over the Colts.
Cooper Rush and Jack Strand split quarterback duties while Tagovailoa was rested along with Atlanta's other starters. Michael Penix (knee) has yet to be cleared for game action, so it's looking increasingly more likely that Tua will be under center when the Falcons kick off regular-season play Sept. 13 at Pittsburgh. It remains to be seen if Tagovailoa will feature in Friday's preseason finale against the Dolphins.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Likely to sit out second preseason game
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Tagovailoa is expected to be rested for the Falcons' second preseason game Saturday versus the Colts, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Back on July 31, Stefanski told Daniel Flick of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Falcons wouldn't play starters in the second preseason game, with members of the first-team offense and defense instead banking reps in joint practices with the Colts leading up to the exhibition. Stefanski doesn't seem to have deviated from that plan a few weeks later, as he mentioned Cooper Rush and Jack Strand as the possible starting options at quarterback for the matchup with Indianapolis when he spoke to the media Monday. Tagovailoa played two drives Friday in the Falcons' 27-7 loss to the Broncos in the preseason opener, and he's expected to take snaps again in the final exhibition game Friday, Aug. 28 versus the Dolphins. Tagovailoa is currently in pole position to open the regular season as the Falcons' starter under center, as Michael Penix (knee) remains limited to taking part in 7-on-7 drills during practices.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Plays two drives in preseason start
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Tagovailoa completed three of five passes for 22 yards and rushed once for no gain in Friday's 27-7 preseason loss to the Broncos.
All three of Tagovailoa's completions on Atlanta's first two drives went to tight end Kyle Pitts. Tua's performance was nothing to write home about, but it's nonetheless encouraging that he got the starting nod for the preseason opener while Michael Penix (knee) has yet to be cleared for contact drills. Given Tagovailoa's edge in health, the former Dolphins quarterback is the favorite to win Atlanta's quarterback competition ahead of the Falcons' Week 1 road game against the Steelers.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Inside track to Week 1 start, per Fowler
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Tagovailoa has the "inside track" to be named the Falcons' starting quarterback ahead of Week 1, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Helping Tagovailoa's cause so far in training camp has been his accuracy, though Michael Penix's ongoing recovery from the torn ACL he suffered Week 11 of last season has contained him to 7-to-7 drills, at best, in practice. Fowler noted that coach Kevin Stefanski "might wait this out until after the preseason to name a starter," so it appears he'll make Tagovailoa earn the role on his merits. Tagovailoa is slated to start Friday's exhibition against the Broncos, which may help him stake a claim to the eventual No. 1 role.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Starting preseason opener
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Tagovailoa will start Friday's preseason opener against Denver, but coach Kevin Stefanski isn't ready to name the Week 1 starter, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Stefanski said Wednesday that the starters will stay in Friday's game for about 10 snaps or one series. For now, Tagovailoa is the starter by default with Michael Penix (knee) not yet cleared for contact or full-team drills. Stefanski is leaving the door open for Penix to earn the starting job, but that seems more likely to happen in-season than ahead of Week 1.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: No timetable to name starter
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Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that the Falcons don't have a timeline to name a starting quarterback for the team's Week 1 game at Pittsburgh, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Tagovailoa seemingly is the leader in the clubhouse to land the gig for the season opener over Michael Penix, who has yet to join in on team drills in training camp due to his ongoing recovery from the torn ACL that ended his season Week 11 last year. While Stefanski wouldn't commit to a Week 1 starter, he added that he'll make a decision on whether or not Tagovailoa will play in Friday's preseason opener against the Broncos by Wednesday.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Trending toward Week 1 start
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Tagovailoa (back) is trending toward being the Falcons' Week 1 starting quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Coach Kevin Stefanski has remained mum as it pertains to who will be under center for the Falcons for the season opener against the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 13. Having said that, Tagovailoa has been far more active at the beginning of training camp than Michael Penix, the latter of whom continues to rehab the torn ACL that ended his campaign in Week 11 in 2025. Tagovailoa himself has been tending to a back injury, but he was able to elevate to 11-on-11 drills Monday and seems well on his way to getting the call from Stafanski ahead of Week 1. Tagovailoa was limited at Tuesday's practice but hopes to work fully Wednesday, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Resumes 11-on-11 work
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Tagovailoa (back) returned to 11-on-11 drills Monday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Tagovailoa had been dealing with some back tightness, which limited him to individual drills Friday, but the QB has progressed to the point where he's back at it for 11-on-11 work. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa's competition for the Falcons' starting signal-caller job, Michael Penix, who is bouncing back from November ACL surgery, remains limited to individual drills and 7-on-7s.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Managing an injury
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Coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Tagovailoa (undisclosed) is working through an injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
While Tagovailoa is dealing with an unspecified injury, it doesn't sound like the signal-caller will be sidelined for long. "He will be out there sooner rather than later," Stefanski noted. With Michael Penix (knee) not yet cleared for team work and Trevor Siemian having been released, Stefanski indicated that rookie UDFA Jack Strand will take the team's initial 11-on-11 QB reps at training camp practice.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Competing for starting role
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Tagovailoa's former Dolphins teammate Patrick Paul believes Tagovailoa will win Atlanta's quarterback competition against Michael Penix (knee), Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.
Both Atlanta QBs are learning the system of new coach Kevin Stefanski, and Tagovailoa has gotten a head start in that regard, as he worked with the first-team offense in spring practices while Penix was on the sidelines recovering from November surgery on a torn ACL. Penix believes he will be cleared to practice in training camp and be fully healthy by Week 1, per ESPN.com, but Tagovailoa's early edge makes the former Dolphins QB the favorite to start for the Falcons when they begin regular-season play Sunday, Sept. 13 at Pittsburgh.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Puts pen to paper with Falcons
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Tagovailoa officially signed his one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Falcons on Friday.
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham confirmed Friday that Tagovailoa will compete with Michael Penix (knee) for the starting quarterback role in Atlanta, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. Both are oft-injured left-handed quarterbacks, but Tua is the healthier of the two at the moment, as he passed a physical in order to effectuate his contract with Atlanta while Penix is recovering from November surgery to repair a torn ACL. Penix has a chance to be ready for the start of the regular season, but Tagovailoa could have the early edge in Atlanta's QB competition while Penix works his way back into form.
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Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa: Reaches agreement with Atlanta
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Tagovailoa and the Falcons have reached an agreement on a one-year, $1.3 million contract, Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com reports.
The deal should become official Wednesday evening after the Dolphins release Tagovailoa, who is due $54 million in guaranteed money. His new contract offsets what he's owed from Miami, so there's no incentive to sign for more than the minimum. With fellow left-handed quarterback Michael Penix rehabbing from ACL surgery, Tagovailoa could get a chance to revive his value under new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski. Atlanta has been busy in the opening hours of free-agent negotiations, releasing WRs Darnell Mooney and KhaDarel Hodge after quickly reaching agreements with WRs Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson. The WR room still looks shaky beyond Drake London, but Bijan Robinson and a strong offensive line go a long way.
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Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa: Nearing deal with Atlanta?
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Tagovailoa "appears poised" to sign with the Falcons once he's officially released by Miami on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Tagovailoa would join a QB room led by fellow lefty Michael Penix, who underwent surgery in late November to repair an ACL tear. Tagovailoa likely will sign a vet-minimum contract with his next team, as any new money would simply offset the $54 million guaranteed that Miami owes him. If Tagovailoa does end up signing with the Falcons, it'll be a strong hint that Penix isn't expected to be ready for Week 1. At the very least, Tagovailoa would get first-team reps (under new coach Kevin Stefanski) throughout the offseason program and into training camp. Meanwhile, the Falcons are in line to release fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins at the start of the league year, right around the time when Miami figures to cut ties with Tagovailoa.
