Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa their Week 1 starter

The camp competition stretched beyond roster cutdowns.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 71 min read

Tua Tagovailoa will start for the Falcons! Ian Rapoport gives more details on the Falcons' decision 🏈 https://t.co/hpBX Via @espn on X

What happened: Tagovailoa worked with Atlanta's first-team offense for most of training camp and started the first and final preseason games. The Falcons carried four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster before making the call.

Why it matters: The move hands a new offensive scheme to a quarterback with 76 career starts across six NFL seasons. His next appearance will be his first regular-season start outside his original franchise.

By the numbers: Tagovailoa completed 10 of 13 preseason passes for 117 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, posting a 103.7 passer rating.

What to watch: Atlanta opens the regular season Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Sources

@espn 2026-09-07T13:04:22.562449+00:00

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