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Falcons name Tagovailoa as starter vs. Steelers

Tua Tagovailoa

ATL Quarterback #1

Player Stats

Falcons announced Tua Tagovailoa will start in Week 1 against the Steelers.

Despite an up-and-down training camp, Tagovailoa will get the nod as the starter when the Falcons kick off the season on Sunday against the Steelers. Given the fact that Michael Penix Jr. (knee) was still limited at the start of camp, Tagovailoa had long been assumed to have the inside edge on the QB1 job at the start of camp, but Penix was still given a shot to compete for the job despite not being cleared for 11-on-11 practice until August 22. Tagovailoa shouldn’t be counted on in standard 1QB leagues at this point, and fantasy managers looking to add him in 2QB and superflex leagues shouldn’t view him as a long-term solution. It would not be at all surprising if we saw both Tagovailoa and Penix start multiple games for the Falcons this season, with rookie UDFA Jack Stand also being a dark horse to see snaps at some point in the season after an impressive training camp and preseason.

- Zachary Krueger

Source: Tom Pelissero

More Tua Tagovailoa News

NFL could 'deconstruct' Sunday Ticket by 2030

Mike Florio discusses the future of NFL broadcasting on the heels of a report that the league could do away with Sunday Ticket, the subscription service allowing fans to watch every out-of-market game, by 2030.

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Michael Penix

ATL Quarterback #9

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Michael Penix completed 18-of-25 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the Falcons’ 35-14, Week 3 win over the Packers.

The final stat line looks more impressive when you consider Penix started the game 1-of-5 passing with an interception, settling into the game from there to go on to complete 17 of his final 20 pass attempts. As was the case during his rookie season, Penix leaned on his top option through the air, feeding Drake London 10 targets that the talented receiver parlayed into a gaudy 194 yards, with no other pass-catcher surpassing the 19 yards receiving of running back Bijan Robinson. The Falcons improve to 1-2 on the young season while handing the Packers their first home opener loss in 14 years. Penix has all the look of an upside QB2 and deserves streaming consideration ahead of a road matchup with the Saints in Week 4.
Cooper Rush

ATL Quarterback #13

Falcons declared QB Cooper Rush, QB Jack Strand, CB Malcolm Dewalt, CB Robert Longerbeam, EDGE Samson Ebukam and OT Ethan Onianwa inactive for Week 3 against the Packers.

Rush sits ahead of Strand on the depth chart and has been labeled as this evening’s emergency third quarterback. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that. Week 3 marks QB Michael Penix’s return to action following last year’s season-ending knee injury.
Tua Tagovailoa

ATL Quarterback #1

Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) was removed from the injury report for Week 3 against the Packers.

Tagovailoa joins a jumbled Falcons backup quarterback group for Thursday Night Football. He does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues. The Falcons will start QB Michael Penix (knee).
Tua Tagovailoa

ATL Quarterback #1

Amazon Prime’s James Palmer reports Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) will play in Week 3 against the Packers.

Tagovailoa, fighting injuries for much of the offseason, missed Atlanta’s first two games with an oblique issue. He’ll return just in time to serve as backup to Michael Penix, who’s returning from a 2025 ACL injury. Penix is set to start Thursday night against a Packers defense allowing the ninth lowest adjusted yards per pass attempt.
Tua Tagovailoa

ATL Quarterback #1

Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) returned to practice on Tuesday.

With Michael Penix already named the starter, Tagovailoa will be aiming to back him up in Week 3’s TNF clash with the Packers. The 28-year-old veteran got in a full session on Tuesday.
Michael Penix

ATL Quarterback #9

Falcons named Michael Penix as the starter for Week 3 against the Packers.

Penix will make his first start since Week 11 of last season, when he suffered a torn ACL against the Panthers. If he plays well enough, Penix will have a chance to secure the starting job for the remainder of the season, but he will have Tua Tagovailoa looming in the background once he is fully recovered from his oblique injury. Penix has struggled early in his career, throwing for 2,757-12-6 in 14 career games while completing just 59.6 percent of his passes. It seems unlikely that he will hold onto the job for the remaining 15 games of the season, but he’ll get the first legitimate crack at it after the Falcons were forced to start Cooper Rush for the first two weeks of the season. Penix shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a low-end QB2 for fantasy purposes on Thursday night against the Packers.
Tua Tagovailoa

ATL Quarterback #1

Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski said Tua Tagovailoa is “getting better” from his oblique injury.

Stefanski said the team will “work through what that means for this week.” Time will tell whether or not that means Tagovailoa has a chance to play in Week 3 against the Packers on Thursday night, as the Falcons have a number of ways they can go at QB this week after another disastrous outing by Cooper Rush. Tagovailoa did not log a practice last week, but Michael Penix (knee) was a full participant. It would be fair to assume that Penix is closer to returning than Tua, but we’ll see where things stand when the team releases its estimated injury report later today.
Jack Strand

ATL Quarterback #18

Speaking Monday, Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski did not commit to naming a starting QB for Week 3’s game against the Packers.

With the Falcons set to play on Thursday night, Stefanski will have little time to prepare his starter for the week. It’s hard to imagine the team going back to Cooper Rush after back-to-back disastrous starts to open the season, which could pave the way for rookie UDFA Jack Strand to make the start of Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) still aren’t ready to go. Strand completed 8-of-15 passes for 59 yards and an interception in his first taste of NFL action. Stefanski did say he had a “decent idea” of who he thinks he will be starting this week, so we’ll likely have our answer soon.
Jack Strand

ATL Quarterback #18

Jack Strand completed 8-of-15 passes for 59 yards and an interception in the Falcons’ 34-3, Week 2 loss to the Panthers.

Strand replaced a struggling Cooper Rush in the third quarter of the blowout loss. His first career attempt was a pick-six, but it’s hard to pin much of the blame on him. He made a tight-window throw to Jahan Dotson and Devin Lloyd simply ripped the ball out of the receiver’s hands before he could secure it. Strand wasn’t awfully productive even after throwing out that play, taking two sacks while averaging a pitiful 3.9 yards per attempt. The hope for Falcons fans and fantasy managers alike is that Michael Penix will be ready for Week 3. It’s unclear whether Strand or Rush would start if Penix and Tua Tagovailoa remain out.
Michael Penix

ATL Quarterback #9

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Michael Penix (knee) could play in Week 3 against the Packers.

Per Schefter and Ian Rapoport, Penix is the team’s preferred starter and is nearing a return. Once he is finally ready to suit up, the job is his. They also note that the Falcons won’t cut Tua Tagovailoa, even once the team has four healthy quarterbacks. There is a possibility that a team wants to trade for Tua ahead of the midseason deadline, though we’re skeptical that there’s much of a market for him after this disastrous start to the season.

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Jalen Coker

CAR Wide Receiver #18
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Panthers elevated WR Ja’Seem Reed from the practice squad.

This is notable considering head coach Dave Canales previously said that the team would only elevated Reed if Coker couldn’t go in Week 4. Coker, listed as questionable, now appears on the worse side of the designation ahead of a Week 4 meeting with the Lions on Sunday Night Football. Fantasy managers are better off making contingent plans now considering the Panthers are the penultimate game of the week.
- Mark Garcia

Transaction
Jalen Coker
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Xavier Legette

CAR Wide Receiver #17
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Panthers placed WR Xavier Legette (knee) on injured reserve.

Legette was already ruled out for Week 4, which marks his second straight absence. He will now be forced to miss the next four games while on injured reserve, making his absence a total of five games, at minimum. John Metchie and Brycen Tremaine will continue to operate as the WR3 in the interim.
- Mark Garcia

Transaction

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Jadarian Price

SEA Running Back #8
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Seahawks placed RB Jadarian Price (chest) on injured reserve.

Price reportedly aggravated a chest injury during the team’s Wednesday practice and will now miss the next four games, at minimum, as he tends to the injury. The backfield will be left in the hands of Emanuel Wilson and George Holani in Week 4 against the Chargers but should get reinforcements in short order with Zach Charbonnet set to resume practicing. Price’s season continues to trend poorly for fantasy managers that invested a mid-round pick in his services this summer.
- Mark Garcia

Transaction

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Noah Fant

NO Tight End #87
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Saints TE Noah Fant (abdominal) is questionable for Week 4 against the Falcons.

So too is LB Pete Werner, while LB Kaden Elliss, DE Carl Granderson, and DEAnfernee Jennings have been ruled out. Rookie tight end Oscar Delp would be in line to see additional run alongside Juwan Johnson, should Fant be unable to play.
- Mark Garcia
Oscar Delp
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Samson Ebukam

ATL Defensive End #52
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Falcons DE Samson Ebukam (hamstring) and LB Divine Deablo (hamstring) are questionable for Week 4 against the Saints.

Ebukam and Deablo are the only two players listed on the Falcons’ injury report for their Week 4 divisional showdown agains the Saints on Monday Night Football. Ebukam returned to a full practice Saturday for the first time since injuring his hamstring in practice ahead of Week 3. The Falcons remain relatively healthy as they prepare to challenge the Saints for the division lead through the first month of play.
- Mark Garcia
Divine Deablo
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Tyson Bagent

CHI Quarterback #17
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Bears QB Tyson Bagent will start in Week 4 against the Jets, reports Dan Wiederer of the Athletic.

Bagent came in after Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring strain in Week 2, but missed Week 3 as he was in concussion protocol with Case Keenum getting the start. With Williams still out, Bagent will be back under center against the Jets. With Ben Johnson calling plays, Bagent is a super-flex option in Week 4.
- Nick Shlain

Source: Dan Wiederer

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Terry McLaurin

WAS Wide Receiver #17
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Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (hamstring) is likely to miss Week 4 against the Colts, reports Commanders beat writer Ben Standig.

McLaurin injured his hamstring at practice on Friday. While there was initially optimism he could play through the injury, McLaurin is now likely to miss the game against the Colts, according to Standig. Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams should serve as the Commanders’ top wide receivers with Marcus Mariota under center in Week 4.
- Nick Shlain

Source: Ben Ständig

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Keenan Allen

IND Wide Receiver #10
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Colts WR Keenan Allen (groin) is out for Week 4 against the Commanders.

Allen was limited in practice throughout the week and listed as questionable. Now he’s been ruled out for Week 4 against the Commanders. Josh Downs is locked in as the Colts top wide receiver this week and Tyler Warren should also see a boost in value with Allen sidelined.
- Nick Shlain

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Brian Branch

DET Defensive Back #32
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Lions S Brian Branch (Achilles) has a “really good chance” to return to practice next week, reports the Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.

Branch is still on the PUP list after tearing his Achilles last season. Lions HC Dan Campbell said Branch was close to returning to practice on Friday, though he wouldn’t disclose when exactly the Lions will open the 21-day practice window for the 24-year-old safety. According to Pelissero, there’s a really good chance Branch returns to practice next week. He’ll undoubtedly help a Lions pass defense that has been torn to shreds in the first three weeks of the season.
- Nick Shlain

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Baker Mayfield

TB Quarterback #6
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Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (thumb) could return against the Steelers in Week 6, reports the Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.

Mayfield dislocated his thumb in Week 3’s loss against the Vikings. The 31-year-old quarterback had no ligament or tendon damage. According to Pelissero, it would be tough but not impossible for Mayfield to return in Week 5, making Week 6 against the Steelers the more likely return date. Jalon Daniels will start for the Buccaneers against the Packers in Week 4.
- Nick Shlain

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