Tua Tagovailoa to start Friday, not yet named Falcons’ QB1

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  • Marc RaimondiAug 12, 2026, 01:22 PM ET

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      Marc Raimondi’s first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn’t his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America,” which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.

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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will start Friday night in the team’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday.

That does not necessarily mean Tagovailoa will be the starter Week 1, though. Despite the decision to start Tagovailoa on Friday, Stefanski said it’s still too early to tab a starting quarterback for the regular season. The Falcons travel to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Week 1 on Sept. 13.

“We’re not there to name a starter for Week 1,” Stefanski said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Michael Penix Jr., the third-year quarterback, is still not yet fully cleared from a torn ACL he suffered last season and unable to do 11-on-11 team sessions in practice.

“I went and saw the doctor before camp started and he’s like, ‘This is an amazing ACL.’ He’s like, ‘You should never have any more knee problems for the rest of your career.” That’s word for word what he told me,” Penix said Wednesday. “So, it’s like, OK, I hear that. But it’s like, all right, now I’m like, ‘Do I trust that?’ So, it’s just more so as just having that confidence in it and not worrying about it because injuries happen in football, but at the same time you don’t want it to happen again.”

Penix added that he feels good but he’s not ready to take a hit.

“I feel like I can do just about anything except for take a hit. And that’s what we’re trying to stay away from right now.”

Stefanski said Falcons starters will play the first series or about 10 plays — whichever comes first — and then come out. Veteran Cooper Rush will be the second quarterback used after Tagovailoa and undrafted rookie Jack Strand will finish out the game.

“So, our guys are ready to play and looking forward to Tua getting his first action in a game in this system,” Stefanski said.

Stefanski said playing time Friday night will vary from player to player. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will call plays, as he will during the regular season. Stefanski said it’ll be a “simple game plan” against the Broncos, so the Falcons can play fast.

“I don’t believe in showing a lot in the preseason and doing all sorts of exotic things and whatnot,” Stefanski said.



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