The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback situation is trending because Tua Tagovailoa has been named the Week 1 starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers while reports say the team could cut him if he is benched. That unusual combination has pushed fans to search for the latest Falcons depth chart and the team’s plan at quarterback.
ESPN reported that Tagovailoa will start Atlanta’s Week 1 matchup with Pittsburgh. The announcement establishes him as the Falcons’ opening-game quarterback, but it has not ended the questions around his place on the roster. Instead, reports from Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports have created a sharp contrast: Tagovailoa is the named starter, yet his position may be vulnerable if the team turns to another quarterback.
Why is the Falcons depth chart trending?
The search interest centers on the gap between the Falcons’ public decision and the reports about what could happen next. A starting quarterback is normally the clearest name on a team’s depth chart. In Atlanta, Tagovailoa’s Week 1 status is clear, but the reports suggest his longer-term standing could depend on whether he is benched.
Yahoo Sports reported that the Falcons are already thinking about cutting Tagovailoa. The report does not change his announced role for Week 1: ESPN still lists him as Atlanta’s starter against the Steelers. It does, however, raise a broader question for fans: if Tagovailoa loses the job, who would take over for the Falcons?
The headlines provided for this story do not identify a replacement quarterback or publish a complete Atlanta depth chart. That means the confirmed piece of the picture is Tagovailoa’s Week 1 starting assignment, while the next step remains unsettled in the reports now driving the conversation.
What did NBC Sports report about Tua Tagovailoa?
NBC Sports reported a “strong possibility” that Tagovailoa will be cut if or when he is benched. The wording describes a potential roster move tied to a possible change at quarterback; it does not report that Tagovailoa has already been benched or released.
That distinction matters. Tagovailoa remains the quarterback ESPN reported as Atlanta’s choice to start Week 1 against Pittsburgh. The NBC Sports report concerns what could happen later if the Falcons remove him from the starting role. Until that occurs, the announced depth-chart position is unchanged.
Taken together, the reports describe a quarterback entering the season with a defined immediate role but significant questions about his security. Yahoo Sports says Atlanta is considering a cut, while NBC Sports says such a move could follow a benching. Neither report, as reflected in the available headlines, confirms that the Falcons have made that move.
What does this mean for the Falcons’ Week 1 game?
Tagovailoa is expected to start Atlanta’s Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to ESPN. That is the clearest answer for fans checking the Falcons depth chart ahead of the matchup.
The larger uncertainty concerns what happens if the team changes quarterbacks. The reports do not confirm that Tagovailoa will be benched, and they do not name the player who would replace him. For now, the story is about a possible future roster decision rather than a confirmed change to the Week 1 lineup.
That leaves Atlanta’s quarterback situation in two parts. Tagovailoa is the named starter for the opener against Pittsburgh. At the same time, reports say the Falcons may be prepared to move on from him if he loses that role. Those competing developments explain why the Falcons depth chart has become a trending search in the United States.
Is Tua Tagovailoa already cut by the Falcons?
No. The available reports say the Falcons may cut Tagovailoa if he is benched, but they do not report that he has already been released. ESPN’s report still identifies him as Atlanta’s Week 1 starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers.