The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback room is absolutely wild heading into the season opener on September 13, and it got even more chaotic with Michael Penix Jr. cleared for all football activities this week. After recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, Penix is now splitting first-team reps with Tua Tagovailoa. Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters it’s good that Penix can finally start getting into 11-on-11 work, saying he’s already been in walkthroughs, 7-on-7, and individual drills. But full team action? That’s the new challenge for Mike.
Penix’s Return Brings Big Questions
Penix’s return to full practice is a huge step, but the path ahead isn’t clear at all. Stefanski won’t speculate on whether Penix can even start Week 1, only stressing that “everything we do around this building is competing.” You’d hope so, right? Because Penix isn’t exactly a lock. He’s coming off that serious knee injury, which isn’t his first; he battled serious knee issues in college too. Since getting drafted eighth overall in the 2024 NFL draft, Penix has only started 12 career games, going 4-8. He hasn’t had a full offseason of work before this clearance, so how quickly can he shake off the rust and the injury concerns?
Tua’s Struggles and a Preseason Flash
Then there’s Tua Tagovailoa. Man, last season was rough. He threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 2025 and was limited to just 11 games in 2024. This isn’t the Pro Bowl Tua who led the league with 4,624 passing yards back in 2023. What happened to that guy? Amidst this messy battle, undrafted rookie Jack Strand actually turned some heads in their preseason win against the Colts, going 12-of-17 for 212 yards, a touchdown, and zero picks. Pretty impressive for a guy who probably didn’t expect much. But Stefanski quickly shut down any real hopes there, confirming Strand will “work with the twos and threes,” staying well out of the QB1 conversation.
The Falcons have one final preseason game on Friday against the Miami Dolphins. This is Penix’s last chance to make a strong impression in live action, just like Strand did. With Tua’s recent performance and Penix’s injury history, Atlanta desperately needs someone to step up and make this decision easy. What’s going to happen? Your guess is as good as mine, but the stakes for this final preseason game couldn’t be higher.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply