The Falcons Have 9 Days, No Starter, and a $54 Million Question on Their Hands

With their first game of the season a mere nine days out, the Atlanta Falcons still haven’t named a starting quarterback. Talk about cutting it close, right? You’d think a team would have their signal-caller set by now, but Atlanta is still playing musical chairs at the most important position on the field.

The “Competition” That Michael Penix Jr. Can’t Even Be In

Ostensibly, the battle for QB1 is between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. But seriously, how is it a competition when Penix hasn’t been able to compete? The guy is still recovering from a torn ACL! It’s tough to show what you’ve got when you’re sidelined. So, with Penix not ready to go, the options really boil down to Tua and Cooper Rush. Rush, for his part, has a 9-7 record across 16 career starts. The Falcons have announced a “starting quarterback press conference” for next Wednesday, so we know the answer is coming. Our guess? It’ll likely happen early in the week, maybe Monday, with the official announcement dropping Tuesday morning at the earliest.

Why Tua Tagovailoa’s Salary Makes This Whole Mess Even Wilder

Here’s where it gets truly interesting. If the Falcons roll with Cooper Rush, who’s been a dependable backup in his career, then what’s the point of even keeping Tua on the roster? His base salary of $1.215 million isn’t guaranteed. Yeah, you read that right. They could cut him, and here’s the kicker: he’d still get the full $54 million he’s owed by the Dolphins for 2026. It made sense when they first signed Tua, mainly because he was a cheap pickup. But if he’s not the guy, that’s a whole lot of drama and cap space for a player who isn’t even playing.

So, buckle up, because the Falcons are about to make a huge call that will define their early season. With just days left before kickoff, every decision now is under a microscope, and they can’t afford to mess this up.

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.