FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When you open the door to the quarterback meeting room at the Atlanta Falcons facility, three words printed on a sign immediately catch your attention. Written in black, they serve as a creed and a reminder for every player who enters.
The sign simply reads: "Trust your feet."
Falcons quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt sits at the center of a quarterback discussion in Atlanta that will unfold throughout the offseason, training camp and preseason. Between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, one quarterback will ultimately win the starting job. The question now — and in the months ahead — is who that will be. Alongside head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Van Pelt will play a major role in determining who earns that opportunity.
Evaluating a starting quarterback amid an active competition is challenging enough. Add in the fact that Penix is still working his way back physically just eight months removed from ACL surgery, and the process becomes even more complicated. Balancing that reality while ensuring practice reps are distributed appropriately is no easy task.
"It's tough having a competition when both guys aren't competing at the same level (physically)," Van Pelt said. "... Mike has done a great job of getting himself to where he is right now. Really impressed to see him take 7-on-7 reps, but really, there is no competition until we can actually evaluate them equally."
Keeping that perspective in mind isn't always easy, Van Pelt admitted. However, it's the reality the Falcons face and will continue to face until Penix receives full medical clearance.
"We have to understand that Mike's knee is not 100% right now, and maybe at the top of his drop he may not be able to put that thing in the ground and throw the ball the way he might two more months from now," Van Pelt explained. "You take that all into consideration."
With that in mind — the fact there is a competition but not yet a level playing field — it raises an important question: What are Falcons decision-makers evaluating and teaching as they install a new offensive system?
The answer is easier to find than it may seem. It goes back to the first three words players see when they enter the quarterback meeting room.
It's all about footwork.