NFL training camps are underway, and of the 32 teams in the league, three have ongoing starting quarterback competitions. That includes the Atlanta Falcons, who added Pro Bowl QB Tua Tagovailoa to a room that already had a first-round pick from 2024 in Michael Penix Jr.
Of course, the latter is also coming off a torn ACL suffered late last season, and the 26-year-old’s absence has changed the narrative of this summer’s competition.
Atlanta Falcons’ ‘Competition Isn’t Really a Battle’
NFL: Atlanta Falcons Training Camp
Jul 30, 2026; Atlanta, Falcons, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) shown on the field during training camp at IBM Performance Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
It’s pretty hard to land a job when you’re not available when duty calls. While Kirk Cousins‘ presence was a heavy factor, having started just 12 games since arriving as the eighth overall pick two years ago, durability is still one of the question marks facing Penix’s career.
Now, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports, Penix’s absence is likely to cost him a starting opportunity in Atlanta. Yet, he says the competition in Atlanta “really isn’t a battle,” mainly because Penix has been unable to get any live reps in with his team.
“Atlanta is a weird battle because it really isn’t a battle. Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL, he has not been fully cleared and he has not been in team reps. He’s thrown. He’s really not fully practicing. This is not a competition until he is fully practicing. If he doesn’t fully practice until let’s say five weeks from now, how is he going to be the starter in Week 1? It doesn’t make any sense. My sense, Tua’s the Week 1 starter. He’ll go out there and play. If he continues to play well, then he’ll be the guy, until he’s not. At some point as an organization, you’d like to see Penix play. You’d like to see if he is in fact the franchise guy, injury concerns notwithstanding. My sense it both will end up playing, but hard to see it as a battle when Tua is the only one fully participating in practice.”
From Inside Training Camp Live: A breakdown of all the QB battle, looking at the #Browns, #Falcons, and #Vikings. pic.twitter.com/J74ojRAwNx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2026
As Rapoport noted, it’s hard to imagine how the Falcons would hand the starting QB job to someone who hasn’t gotten a single rep with the first or even second-team offense yet. That may not have been as big of a deal for Penix if they still had Zac Robinson coordinating the unit, but coach Stefanski and Tommy Rees are installing a new offense, one that a starter would need to be able to practice before facing live action. That undoubtedly places Tagovailoa in the driver’s seat.