Atlanta Falcons

Once again, the Falcons enter an NFL season with a new face at quarterback.

Atlanta has named Tua Tagovailoa its QB1 for Week 1 against the Steelers, Adam Schefter reported Monday, after entertaining a competition between the former Dolphins star and Michael Penix Jr. throughout camp.

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As Tagovailoa takes the reins of the Falcons’ offense, however, he’s become the latest in a rather unstable line of quarterbacks for the franchise. Since Matt Ryan — now the Falcons’ president of football operations — was traded to the Colts prior to retiring a few years ago, Atlanta has struggled to find a long-term answer.

Here’s a look at the Falcons’ timeline of quarterbacks since Ryan stepped away.

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Falcons timeline of starting QBs since Matt Ryan

2022 

• Marcus Mariota (13 starts)
• Desmond Ridder (4 starts)

After Ryan started in all 17 games for the Falcons in his final NFL season in 2021, finishing at 7-10 and missing the playoffs, he was traded to Indianapolis for his final year, leaving the Falcons without a starting quarterback.

They pivoted in the offseason to sign former Titans and Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota, who offered some dual-threat ability but wasn’t proven as a surefire QB1 despite his former first-round pedigree. Mariota inked a two-year deal with Atlanta, and he was named the starter for Week 1.

After throwing 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, however, Mariota made it to Week 15 before he was benched by the Falcons for Desmond Ridder, a rookie who he had beat out for the QB1 job.

Ridder threw for 708 yards and two touchdowns over the final four games of the season at the Falcons finished 7-10.

2023

• Desmond Ridder (13 starts)
• Taylor Heinicke (4 starts)

With Mariota being released in the offseason, Ridder safely secured the Falcons’ starting spot for 2023 after flashing some talent as a rookie the year prior. 

Ridder, however, didn’t turn out to be the answer Atlanta was seeking. He would finish the season with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, benched in Week 8 for veteran Taylor Heinicke, who got four starts in the middle of the season before Atlanta went back to Ridder.

For the third consecutive season, the Falcons went 7-10, with their quarterback play contributing to another so-so campaign.

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2024

• Kirk Cousins (14 starts)
• Michael Penix Jr. (3 starts)

In the 2024 offseason, the Falcons finally invested in the quarterback position for the first time in the post-Ryan era — but they arguably did so with the wrong names.

First, Atlanta landed a prized veteran in Kirk Cousins, who was coming off a long run with the Vikings that included some elite pocket passing and trips to the playoffs. Cousins was a clear upgrade for the Falcons, slotting in at age 36 with the proven ability to maximize the weapons around him, something Atlanta hadn’t had in years from a passer.

Things got dramatic, though, when the Falcons also used their No. 7 pick on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., something Cousins wasn’t made aware of. While the team insisted that Cousins was QB1 while Penix would develop behind him, an ugly 2024 season changed that quickly.

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Cousins threw 16 interceptions in 14 games in his first year coming off an Achilles tear, and in Week 16, he was benched. Penix came in to make his first few NFL starts to end Atlanta’s season, flashing some talent but also throwing three picks.

Yet again, the Falcons entered the offseason, after going 8-9, with unanswered questions at quarterback.

2025

• Michael Penix Jr. (9 starts)
• Kirk Cousins (8 starts)

The 2025 season wound up being more of the same for Atlanta: a split quarterback room between Cousins and Penix. This time, the younger option entered the season as QB1.

Penix started the first nine games of the season for the Falcons, but went 3-6 with 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions — improved numbers from his 2024 showing, but not good enough to lead the team to much success. When he went down with a significant knee injury in Week 11, Cousins came back into the picture.

Cousins started Atlanta’s final eight games after Penix was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL. The veteran didn’t bounce back from his rough 2024 very much, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in that span, though the team went 5-3.

Atlanta missed the postseason again, going 8-9.

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2026

• QB1: Tua Tagovailoa
• QB2: Michael Penix Jr.

Now, in Cousins’ absence after he was released by the Falcons in the offseason, there’s another new veteran in the mix to contend with Penix this coming season.

Tagovailoa, like Cousins, had an expensive, ugly exit from his prior team, leading the NFL in passing yards in 2023 but struggling since then between injuries and turnover issues (15 interceptions in 2025). At age 28, he signed a one-year deal with the Falcons this offseason seeking a career revival.

While Tagovailoa wasn’t entirely impressive in the preseason, he still claimed the Falcons’ QB1 job over Penix, who has been in recovery from his torn ACL. At least to open the season, Atlanta is hoping Tagovailoa can rejuvenate the offense as Kevin Stefanski also takes over as head coach.

It appears likely, however, that Penix will be getting another opportunity at some point in 2026.

Tua Tagovailoa has been named starting quarterback for Week 1https://t.co/67barjCycW pic.twitter.com/l9QwpkUZOA

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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 7, 2026