Should I Start Tua Tagovailoa?

Monday, September 21, 11:04 AM

When asked about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) on Monday, Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he is "getting better," according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We'll work through what that means for this week, but definitely is getting better." The 28-year-old former Miami Dolphins QB was on track to start in the Week 1 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers before injuring his oblique just days before in practice. He has been inactive for the team's first two games of the 2026 season, and with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) potentially making his season debut in Week 3 on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers, Tagovailoa's time in Atlanta could already be up. Stefanski is not tipping his hand on the QB situation on Monday, even on a short week, but it would be very surprising if Tagovailoa gets the nod over Penix, Cooper Rush, or even undrafted rookie Jack Strand on a short week.