The Atlanta Falcons will enter the 2026 NFL season with a new starting quarterback for the sixth year in a row. Tua Tagovailoa will start in the team's Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which feels like a decision made by default since Michael Penix Jr. has been ruled out.
Switching quarterbacks every year isn't a great strategy for winning games in the NFL, and the fact that the Falcons have won at least seven games in five straight seasons is actually kind of impressive (in a pathetic kind of way).
Starting in 2021, when Falcons president of football Matt Ryan was still the starting QB, here's a look at the last five quarterbacks to start for Atlanta in Week 1.
1). Matt Ryan: 2021 NFL season
- Games: 17
- Passing: 3,968 yards, 20 TD, 12 INT, 90.4 rating
- Win/loss record: 7-10
Ryan's final season in Atlanta was not one of his best, but he deserves
credit for leading a bad team to seven wins. The Falcons' offensive line was not what it is today, and Ryan was sacked at least 40 times for the fourth year in a row. Atlanta traded Ryan to the Colts after the 2021 NFL season.
2). Marcus Mariota: 2022 NFL season
- Games: 13
- Passing: 2,219 yards, 15 TD, 9 INT, 88.1 rating
- Rushing: 85 carries, 438 yards, 4 TD
- Win/loss record: 5-8
Mariota was signed as a bridge starter for the Falcons after the team traded Matt Ryan. The former No. 2 overall pick reunited with Arthur Smith but the results were underwhelming. Mariota's season wasn't as bad as people made it out to be, but his viral miscues made it clear he wasn't the long-term answer. Smith benched Mariota in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder, who stated the final four games that season.
3). Desmond Ridder: 2023 NFL season
- Games: 15 (13 starts)
- Passing: 2,836 yards, 12 TD, 12 INT, 83.4 rating
- Rushing: 53 carries, 193 yards, 5 TD
- Win/loss record: 6-7
Ridder was drafted by the Falcons in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft (ahead of Malik Willis), and was officially named the starter entering his second season. Ridder struggled with turnovers and reading NFL defenses. His athleticism wasn't the advantage many expected and he was benched for Taylor Heinicke multiple times throughout the season. After the season ended, the Falcons traded Ridder and brought in two new quarterbacks.
4). Kirk Cousins: 2024 NFL season
- Games: 14
- Passing: 3,508 yards, 18 TD, 16 INT, 88.6 rating
- Win/loss record: 7-7
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons a month before the team drafted Michael Penix Jr. After a hot start by Cousins, he had the worst four-game stretch of his career and lost his job to Penix with three games left in the season. The veteran QB passed for a career-high 16 interceptions in 14 games.
5). Michael Penix Jr.: 2025 NFL season
- Games: 9
- Passing: 1,982 yards, 9 TD, 3 INT, 88.5 rating
- Rushing: 21 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD
- Win/loss record: 3-6
Penix tore his ACL against the Panthers in Week 11, but showed a good amount of upside in his nine games. While he struggled with some operational penalties and general inconsistency, Penix put the team in position to win multiple games. The Falcons' kicking woes likely cost Penix at least two wins, but the ACL injury was a devastating blow for the former No. 8 pick.
6). Tua Tagovailoa: 2026 NFL season
- Games: TBD
- Passing stats: TBD
- Win/loss record: TBD
After a long, confusing quarterback competition, the Falcons named Tagovailoa as their Week 1 starter. The former Dolphins QB was released over the offseason after six seasons in Miami. While the media has treated Tagovailoa like a punching bag based on reports of a bad joint practice performance in Indianapolis, he completes a high percentage of his passes and doesn't turn the ball over a ton. However, Tua will have to play well to keep Penix off of his heels.
The Falcons and Steelers will kick things off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Examining the last 5 Falcons quarterbacks to start Week 1
