Atlanta · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
The Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa the Week 1 starter in Pittsburgh
The File desk · Sep 8, 2026, 2:10 PM UTC
Status
Confirmed from Atlanta Falcons team pages dated Sept. 7, 2026. Kickoff time and network are from the league Week 1 slate URL listed below.
Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa its starting quarterback for Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. The Falcons made it official Monday, after a camp competition that lasted past roster cuts. He joined the team this offseason from Miami. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Cooper Rush will be the backup for that game and Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive. Kickoff is Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX, per the league’s Week 1 slate. No odds. No picks.
Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa its starting quarterback for Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh.
The Falcons posted the news Monday, Sept. 7, after a training-camp competition that lasted past roster cuts. He signed with Atlanta this offseason. Before that he started 76 games over six years with Miami.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said the same day that Cooper Rush will be the backup against the Steelers and Michael Penix Jr. will not dress. Stefanski called the evaluation “all-encompassing.” Asked about later weeks, he would not look past Week 1. He said he would not guess at future decisions.
The league’s 2026 Week 1 slate lists Falcons at Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1:00 p.m. on FOX. This file prints no odds and no picks.
What is still unknown or disputed
- Stefanski declined to lock the starter beyond Week 1.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Atlanta Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa starting quarterback for Week 1
Atlanta Falcons · September 7, 2026
After a training camp competition that lasted past roster cutdowns, the Atlanta Falcons have named Tagovailoa the starting quarterback for their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tagovailoa, who signed with the team this offseason, has started 76 games during his six-year NFL career, all with the Dolphins.
https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/falcons-name-tua-tagovailoa-starting-quarterback-week-1
Source 2
Kevin Stefanski details plan for QB position, updates Michael Penix Jr.'s status
Atlanta Falcons · September 7, 2026
Cooper Rush will act as Tagovailoa's backup against the Steelers and Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive. Stefanski declined to go into much detail about weeks after Week 1 and said he would not want to speculate about future decisions.
https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/kevin-stefanski-details-plan-for-quarterback-position-michael-penix-tua-tagovailoa
Source 3
NFL Schedules 2026 REG1
NFL.com · September 8, 2026
Falcons at Steelers, Sunday Sept. 13, 1:00 PM, FOX.
https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2026/REG1