Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is all but certain to start in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
The decision comes after a quarterback battle between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix, with the latter still not cleared to play. Rapoport revealed his general feel on The Pat McAfee Show, stating, "My general feel is that Tua will be the starter for Week 1. Penix has not been cleared. They're having a quarterback battle, but [Tua starting] is what it feels like to me."
This marks the second time in three years that the Steelers and Falcons will face each other in Week 1, with Pittsburgh winning in 2024 by a score of 18-16. Chris Boswell's first of two six-field-goal games helped the Steelers defeat Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. The two teams have different signal-callers now, with Aaron Rodgers returning for a second season in Pittsburgh, and the Falcons choosing between Tagovailoa and Penix.
The Steelers have faced Tagovailoa before, hosting the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 15 of the 2025 season. The Steelers won 28-15 and held Tagovailoa to a QBR of 12.2. This will be the Falcons' first test under the new quarterback, and it will be interesting to see how they adapt.
Pittsburgh and Atlanta will face off on Fox, a network that has seen some thrilling games between the two teams. The last time the two teams played each other in Week 1 on Fox in Pittsburgh, Rashard Mendehnall scored on a 50-yard touchdown in overtime to give the Steelers a 15-9 win.
The Steelers and Falcons will begin their regular season in just over one month's time at Acrisure Stadium. The game will be a highly anticipated matchup between two teams with different starting quarterbacks, and fans are eager to see how the game unfolds.
Source: Yahoo Sports