Michael Penix Jr. is the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback, QB1 on the 2026 depth chart. He has 1,444 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 7 games in 2026. Tua Tagovailoa is the Falcons backup quarterback (QB2), with Cooper Rush third (QB3).
8 quarterbacks started a regular-season game for the Atlanta Falcons from 2019 to 2026.
In 2026 the Atlanta Falcons started 2 quarterbacks in 9 games: Michael Penix Jr. (7 starts, 3-4) and Cooper Rush (2 starts, 0-2).
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2026 (3-6)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Michael Penix Jr. | 7 | 3-4 | 124/199 | 1,444 | 10 | 6 |
| Cooper Rush | 2 | 0-2 | 22/39 | 229 | 1 | 4 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2025 (8-9)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Michael Penix Jr. | 9 | 3-6 | 166/276 | 1,982 | 9 | 3 |
| Kirk Cousins | 8 | 5-3 | 166/269 | 1,721 | 10 | 5 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2024 (8-9)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Kirk Cousins | 14 | 7-7 | 303/453 | 3,508 | 18 | 16 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | 3 | 1-2 | 61/105 | 775 | 3 | 3 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2023 (7-10)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Desmond Ridder | 12 | 6-6 | 249/388 | 2,836 | 12 | 12 |
| Taylor Heinicke | 5 | 1-4 | 74/136 | 890 | 5 | 4 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2022 (7-10)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Marcus Mariota | 13 | 5-8 | 184/300 | 2,219 | 15 | 9 |
| Desmond Ridder | 4 | 2-2 | 73/115 | 708 | 2 | 0 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2021 (7-10)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Matt Ryan | 17 | 7-10 | 375/560 | 3,968 | 20 | 12 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2020 (4-12)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Matt Ryan | 16 | 4-12 | 407/626 | 4,581 | 26 | 11 |
Atlanta Falcons starting quarterbacks 2019 (7-9)| Quarterback | Starts | Record | Cmp/Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|
| Matt Ryan | 15 | 7-8 | 408/616 | 4,466 | 26 | 14 |
| Matt Schaub | 1 | 0-1 | 50/67 | 580 | 3 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Falcons quarterback?
Michael Penix Jr. is the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback, QB1 on the 2026 depth chart. He has 1,444 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 7 games in 2026.
Who is the Falcons backup QB?
Tua Tagovailoa is the Falcons backup quarterback (QB2), with Cooper Rush third (QB3).
Who has started at quarterback for the Falcons this season?
In 2026 the Atlanta Falcons started 2 quarterbacks in 9 games: Michael Penix Jr. (7 starts, 3-4) and Cooper Rush (2 starts, 0-2).
Who were the Falcons quarterbacks in 2025?
In 2025 the Atlanta Falcons started 2 quarterbacks in 17 games: Michael Penix Jr. (9 starts, 3-6) and Kirk Cousins (8 starts, 5-3).
Who has started the most games at QB for the Falcons since 2019?
Matt Ryan has the most Atlanta Falcons starts at quarterback from 2019 to 2026, with 48 regular-season starts and 13,015 passing yards for them.