Tua Tagovailoa to Start Preseason Finale; Michael Penix Jr. Out

Tua Tagovailoa is set to start in the preseason finale against the Dolphins, while Michael Penix Jr. will not play as he continues to recover from practice drills. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed this during a press conference, noting that Penix has recently returned to team drills.

In the upcoming game, Cooper Rush will take the second spot, followed by rookie Jack Strand. Stefanski mentioned that Penix's participation in drills this week was a positive step, but he refrained from revealing who would be the starting quarterback for the regular season.

Tagovailoa's performance in his preseason debut was challenging, completing only 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards and experiencing a fumble. Despite this, Stefanski has observed improvement in Tagovailoa's play over the past weeks, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and adapting to the new offensive system.