Former Top 10 Picks Battle to Be the 2026 Falcons Starting QB
One of the biggest talking points throughout the NFL landscape this offseason has been the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback situation. Not the absolute worst situation in the league, but the quarterback room is muddy to say the least. Training camp and OTAs are almost upon us, and there are still question marks as to who will suit up to start under center for Atlanta. Which former top 10 pick will win the starting job come the start of the 2026 season? If all goes right, there are only two realistic options to win the starting job. The starter will either be the former Alabama prospect Tua Tagovailoa or the 2023 Heisman finalist Michael Penix. Both have had their trial and tribulations in their collective football careers, and there is no definitive answer yet from the Falcons’ brass.
Let’s start with the option who was actually drafted by the Falcons eighth overall in 2024. The pick still shocks many fans to this day, as Atlanta signed then free agent Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal. Penix sat behind Cousins for the majority of his rookie year before he was thrust into the starting job after the four-time Pro Bowl QB’s poor stretch of play. Two years and a torn ACL later, it’s still up in the air whether or not Penix is a quality starting quarterback or not. Marred with inconsistent play and the aforementioned season-ending ACL injury in 2025, the 26-year-old will have to recover in time for OTAs if he plans to win the starting job, which is also a 50-50 at this point. These crucial reps he may miss could affect his spot as the team’s starter. Safe to say, the University of Washington alum has a large chip on his shoulder going into the summer. Unfortunately, Penix isn’t the only quarterback in Flowery Branch who has a massive chip on their shoulder.
Tagovailoa, a former fifth overall pick by the Miami Dolphins, finds himself on a one-year prove-it deal with the Atlanta Falcons after grading out as one of the worst starting quarterbacks in 2025. Last season was a poor year for the Dolphins as a whole, deciding to clean house with a majority of their starters, including the 2023 Pro Bowl QB. The former MVP candidate was released just a year after signing a four-year, $212.4 extension with Miami. Tagovailoa now finds himself a part of an already questionable Falcons quarterback room. The Falcons hope to get the 2023 Pro Bowl version of the former Crimson Tide and not the injury-prone, inconsistent Tagovailoa of 2025.
Team president and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan spoke on which quarterback will get the starting job, saying, “We don’t really know what to expect at the beginning of training camp, but I think with the way both of these guys are working… I think it will put us in a good spot.” Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski expect to see great things from both quarterbacks. Whoever wins the starting job will more than likely come down to health, and who can handle Stefanski’s scheme the best. Tagovailoa is far more accurate and works the short game better, but Penix has him beat with his natural arm strength and being able to push the ball down the field. Neither can really escape pressure all too well and are prone to taking sacks or making mistakes when a defender is in their face. With Penix still recovering from his ACL tear, most media pundits lean towards Tagovailoa being the starter come Week One. However, only time will tell which quarterback will win out as the signal caller in the Big A.
