Quarterback has been the Atlanta Falcons' biggest issue since trading Matt Ryan after the 2021 season. Including Ryan's final season in Atlanta, the team has started a different quarterback Week 1 for five straight years. And it could end up being six if Michael Penix Jr. can't beat out Tua Tagovailoa.
It is an embarrassing streak that will extend into the league's longest if the younger lefty doesn't start in Pittsburgh. You can only shake your head in shame, especially after 14 years of watching Matty Ice suit up for the opening snap.
I think we can all see the writing on the wall right now. Unless a fully healthy Penix Jr. sets the world on fire during training camp, Tua Tagovailoa will be the Week 1 starter.
The Falcons have an incredibly long streak of starting new Week 1 QBs
And while the job should ultimately go to the guy who earns it, it is hard to ignore the value of consistency. We have seen first-hand that jumbling the depth chart at the most important position simply does not work.
Look at the Week 1 starters for this team dating back to Ryan's final season in Atlanta.
- 2021: Matt Ryan
- 2022: Marcus Mariota
- 2023: Desmond Ridder
- 2024: Kirk Cousins
- 2025: Michael Penix Jr.
For a city that got so used to seeing one man, and one man only, taking snaps, it is hard to comprehend. It has been a whirlwind of hope leading to disappointment.
And the other 31 teams can't make this look any better. Assuming Tua starts, this will be the longest active streak in the league. There are only a few teams that can compare to the Dirty Birds. Here are the other teams that have streaks of not starting the same QB Week 1 in back-to-back seasons.
- Steelers: 6 seasons (Ben Roethlisberger 2020-2021)
- Raiders: 4 seasons (Derek Carr 2021-2022)
- Titans: 3 seasons (Ryan Tannehill 2022-2023)
The Steelers and Titans are about to break their streaks when Aaron Rodgers and Cam Ward suit up for them, respectively. There are also four teams whose streak goes back to 2024: Jets, Browns, Saints, and Colts.
All told, the Falcons could be in a league of their own if Penix Jr. doesn't win the starting job. Week 1 will be a matchup between a Falcons team that continues their long streak and a Steelers team that finally breaks its.
This is the definition of NFL purgatory. The great teams trot out the same passer each game and year, while the bad ones are noncommittal to each one that walks in the door.
In a perfect world, the Falcons will watch Penix Jr.. snap the streak, break out, lead the team to the playoffs, and become the franchise's franchise quarterback. But the likelihood of that is slim.
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