Falcons Start Tua in Preseason Opener but Refuse to Name Their QB1

ATLANTA, Head coach Kevin Stefanski handed Tua Tagovailoa the start for Atlanta's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos on Friday night and then immediately put a ceiling on what it meant.

As Fox Sports reported on August 12, Stefanski made clear the decision applied strictly to the preseason opener and did not establish Tagovailoa as the regular-season starter. "Obviously, Tua is going to play in that game, and I think that's great to get game action with our guys," Stefanski told NFL Network. The starters, per Stefanski, would play roughly one series or around 10 plays before Cooper Rush and then rookie Jack Strand took over.

So: Tua's starting the preseason, but the Falcons won't say Tua's starting the season. That's a careful sentence from a head coach trying to manage a quarterback competition that only one of the two quarterbacks can actually compete in right now.

The problem for the Falcons isn't the optics. It's the injury math. As NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk reported this week, Michael Penix Jr. has not been cleared for 11-on-11 team drills following the ACL tear he suffered last November, and he isn't slated to participate in those drills when Atlanta travels to practice with the Colts next week either. He's been limited to 7-on-7 and individual work throughout camp. Penix himself didn't try to spin it when he spoke to reporters. Per Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons, Penix said, "I can't worry about a starting job until I'm worried about getting back on the field."

That's an honest answer. It's also a preview of how this plays out barring something unexpected. A typical ACL recovery runs nine to twelve months, and the Falcons open the regular season September 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Penix can't manufacture reps he hasn't taken.

Meanwhile Tagovailoa, who came to Atlanta this spring as a free agent after Miami cut him with $99.2 million in dead money still on the books, a figure NFL.com called a record, has been the one building rhythm. Per reporting from The Nest ATL, he completed 7-of-8 passes during 11-on-11 work in practice Tuesday and tacked on a touchdown in 7-on-7s. He dealt with back tightness earlier in camp but indicated it wouldn't keep him out Friday.

The Falcons' offensive weapons are legitimate regardless of who takes the snaps. As Sports Illustrated noted, tight end Kyle Pitts just earned his first All-Pro and signed a record extension this offseason, and receiver Drake London has topped 300 career catches heading into year five. Atlanta also added right tackle Jawaan Taylor and brought in receivers Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus. The infrastructure is there. The quarterback question is simply whether it's answered before September 13 or whether the Falcons get pushed to answer it the hard way.

The front office planted its flag back in March. As Fox News reported, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said at Tagovailoa's signing press conference that both Tua and Penix were "coming in to compete" and that "there are no starters right now." That was a reasonable statement in March. It's a thinner statement in August when one of the two competitors can't line up in team drills.

Stefanski can call it a competition all the way to Week 1 if he wants. But Penix is on a rehab schedule, Tagovailoa is getting the preseason reps, and the Falcons open against Pittsburgh in 30 days. At some point the head coach stops managing a competition and starts naming a quarterback. Friday's preseason snap against Denver just moved that clock closer to midnight.

Sources cited:
- Fox Sports (https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/tua-tagovailoa-will-start-falcons-preseason-opener-week-1-qb-still-unclear)
- NBC Sports / Pro Football Talk (https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/tua-tagovailoa-to-start-first-preseason-game-but-not-named-qb1-for-regular-season)
- Yardbarker / Pro Football Talk (Myles Simmons) (https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/michael_penix_jr_makes_honest_admission_about_qb_competition_vs_tua_tagovailoa/s1_13132_44144029)
- NFL.com (https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-patrick-paul-tua-tagovailoa-definitely-going-to-win-falcons-starting-job)
- The Nest ATL (https://thenestatl.com/tua-tagovailoa-to-start-falcons-first-preseason-game-friday/)
- Sports Illustrated (https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/tua-tagovailoa-inherits-falcons-team-loaded-with-weapons-amid-qb-battle)
- Fox News (https://www.foxnews.com/sports/falcons-tua-tagovailoa-michael-penix-jr-qb-competition.print)