Falcons Announce Captains for 2026 NFL Season amid Tua, Michael Penix Jr. QB1 Battle

As the quarterback competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. continues, the Atlanta Falcons have chosen not to select a quarterback as one of their captains.

The team announced Thursday that this year's captains will be kicker Nick Folk, safety Jessie Bates III, running back Bijan Robinson, guard Chris Lindstrom and linebacker Divine Deablo.

Tagovailoa signed a one-year deal with the Falcons in March after being released by the Dolphins, and he hoped Atlanta could be the place to get his career back on track.

But the former No. 5 overall pick has struggled to establish himself as the team's starter. Even though Penix has spent most of the offseason and training camp rehabbing a torn ACL, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last week that Tagovailoa had lost a "big-time lead" and that "the door is open" for Penix.

Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in 2024, was cleared to practice on Aug. 22.

Tagovailoa is certainly the more proven quarterback of the group, having put together some tremendous seasons in the past and led the Dolphins to the playoffs, but his play last year was a cause for concern.

He threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 14 games.

Penix, meanwhile, has still only played in 14 games in his career, throwing for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The clock is ticking for the Falcons to make a decision about their quarterback, as they'll open the regular season next Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the situation still fluid, the team decided to look to other positions for its captains.

Robinson is the obvious choice given that he's the cornerstone of the franchise. One of the best running backs in the league, Robinson inked a historic deal that ties him to the Falcons through the 2030 campaign.

Robinson, along with new head coach Kevin Stefanski, will look to lead Atlanta to a turnaround season after years of struggle.