2026 · WEEK 2 CLOSE
$1,079+0.1%1W−15%SINCE '26 DRAFTHIGH $1,267
AGE28Mar 2, 1998
EXP6 yrssince 2020
HEIGHT6'1"
inherits 3% of ATL carries (38% vacated, his claim 8%)
With Michael Penix (ribs) cleared to play Sunday against the Bears, Tagovailoa will handle backup duties for the Falcons.
Tagoavailo replaced an injured Penix late last Sunday night against Baltimore and tossed the game-sealing interception in overtime to give the Ravens the win. The Falcons need Penix to maintain health this season, but he's shown little ability to do so early in his career, so there's a good chance Tagovailoa sees snaps again at some point in 2026.
Tagovailoa completed two of three passes for 34 yards and an interception in relief of Michael Penix (ribs) in Sunday's 30-23 overtime loss to the Ravens.
Penix was shaken up after taking a big hit on the final drive of regulation. Tagovailoa came in for one play and completed a 14-yard pass to Bijan Robinson before Penix checked back in and threw an incomplete pass. Penix was unable to continue playing in overtime, so Tua was tasked with the tall order of trying to lead a touchdown drive in less than three minutes after the Ravens chewed up the first 7:03 of OT on a drive that resulted in Baltimore's go-ahead touchdown. Tagovailoa completed a 20-yard pass to Drake London but promptly threw the game-losing interception on the next play. If Penix is unable to play in Week 6 against the Bears, Tagovailoa would get a chance to make his first regular-season start as a member of the Falcons after posting a 44-32 record in 76 regular-season starts with the Dolphins.
Everyone sharing the ball with Tua, most valuable first.
Above the line the plan was to throw; below it, to run.
Tagovailoa (oblique) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.
Tagovailoa took part in his first full practice since Sept. 9, after he sustained an oblique injury a day later that kept him from playing in either of the Falcons' first two games of the season. The 28-year-old had been poised to direct the offense in Week 1, but he'll now have to settle for the No. 2 role with Michael Penix (knee) getting cleared to make his 2026 debut as the team's starting quarterback Thursday versus the Packers.
Tagovailoa (ankle) was estimated as a limited participant in Monday's walk-through practice, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa (oblique) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa (oblique) isn't present for the start of Friday's practice, Daniel Flick of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa (oblique) is doubtful for Sunday's game versus the Panthers, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa (oblique) wasn't seen at Thursday's practice, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa (oblique) was listed as a non-participant for Thursday's practice., D. Orlando Ledbetter of BowTieSports.com reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Tagovailoa (oblique) won't take part in Wednesday's practice, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa was ruled out for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Steelers, and the veteran quarterback could ride the bench from Week 2 onward if the Falcons pivot to Michael Penix as the QB1, Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reports.
Tagovailoa's oblique injury from Thursday's practice was enough for him to join Penix on the sidelines for Week 1, with Cooper Rush serving as the starter and undrafted rookie Jack Strand operating as the backup. Even with Penix's reps being limited in training camp, Tagovailoa did not impress the coaching staff enough in practices and preseason games to definitively win the QB1 job for the 2026 season. Rush will serve as the starter for now, but even if Tagovailoa is cleared to return for Week 2, the latter may be relegated to the backup role if the Falcons opt to turn the keys over to Penix.
Tagovailoa (oblique) wasn't on the field for the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Steelers due to an oblique injury, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
The veteran signal-caller was on track to open the season as the Falcons' starter partly due to Michael Penix having just recently been cleared for 11-on-11 work following last season's ACL tear, but those plans were scuttled Thursday. Tagovailoa appeared to grab at his side or back following a pass in that day's portion of practice that was open to the media, and he then missed Friday's session altogether. Cooper Rush, who signed with Atlanta just before training camp and has 16 career starts, will get the call against Pittsburgh in Tagovailoa's stead.
Tagovailoa (oblique) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
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.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
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.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Tagovailoa was limited at Thursday's practice by an oblique injury, according to the Falcons' official site.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
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.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
The Falcons will have Tagovailoa start at quarterback in Sunday's season opener against the Steelers, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com opines the Falcons could be back in the quarterback market next offseason partly due to potential poor play on the part of Tagovailoa.
The 2020 first-round pick of the Dolphins was brought on board this offseason, partly as a hedge against Michael Penix not being able to recover from last season's ACL tear in time to start the season. That appears to have been a prudent decision for the moment from the standpoint of Penix just having finally been cleared for 11-on-11 drills last week, but Graziano notes Tagovailoa may not end up validating the decision to sign him with his play. The veteran signal-caller often struggled during training camp, and although he did look sharp in the preseason finale against his old Miami squad, it's possible he regresses once he faces more competitive and complex defensive schemes.
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.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
The QBs priced immediately above and below him.
