​The Atlanta Falcons are just five days away from kicking off the 2026 NFL preseason, but many questions remain around their starting lineup, including the quarterback and inside linebacker positions. These next three weeks will be crucial in determining the team’s Week 1 starting lineup. The QB1 decision obviously comes down to health, but thus far, that hasn’t really clarified things as much as we would have assumed. Tua Tagovailoa opened camp with a back injury. Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. is likely still a few weeks away from being cleared, but he left the door open to come back sooner than anticipated.”Another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage,” Penix said on July 29. “But at the same time, it could be earlier.”Sticking with this timeline, Penix should be cleared in about two weeks. Since nothing about his play suggests he is behind on his recovery, there’s a chance he could return for the team’s third preseason game on August 28 against the Dolphins.Check out our projected starting lineups on offense and defense for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Falcons Week 1 offensive lineup projectionQB Michael Penix Jr.RB Bijan RobinsonWR Drake LondonWR Jahan DotsonWR Zachariah BranchTE Kyle PittsTE Charlie WoernerLT Jake MatthewsLG Matthew BergeronC Ryan NeuzilRG Chris LindstromRT Jawaan TaylorTagovailoa could just as easily win the job, though. Injury factor aside, his accuracy and ability to operate an offense with weapons has been proven over the years in Miami. But unless Tua proves to be significantly better over these next few weeks, I would go with Penix in Week 1.I saw enough from Penix last season, especially the way he responded in his second matchup against the Panthers prior to his injury. He has the ability to push the ball down the field without turning it over at a high clip (NFL-low 1.1 interception rate in 2025), and should only get better at the less polished aspects of his game under Kevin Stefanski.The Falcons don’t exactly have Super Bowl expectations this season, and it’s not that crazy to give a quarterback you drafted No. 8 overall three years before totally giving up on him. Penix didn’t even play for most of his rookie season as he was stuck behind Kirk Cousins.Aside from the QB decision, there wasn’t much else to debate in terms of the team’s starting lineup. Jawaan Taylor at right tackle is really the only question mark. The former Chiefs lineman has yet to practice but Stefanski expects him back soon.At wide receiver, I think Zachariah Branch will ultimately serve as the No. 2 by the end of the season in terms of his overall usage. I also listed Charlie Woerner as the No. 2 tight end, but I expect Austin Hooper to get on the field quite a bit as well considering the team likes to run 3TE sets.Falcons Week 1 defensive lineup projectionDL: Brandon DorlusDT: Maason SmithDL: Zach HarrisonLB/EDGE: Samson EbukamILB: Divine DeabloILB: Christian HarrisLB/EDGE: Azeez OjulariCB: A.J. TerrellCB: Mike Hughe