Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes against the New England Patriots during the third quarter at Gillette Stadium
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Falcons' training camp battle at quarterback has not gone as many expected it to. Michael Penix Jr. has not been a full participant while recovering from ACL surgery. Meanwhile, veteran Tua Tagovailoa has taken starter reps with other reserve players filling in as needed. Now that competition could get a lot more interesting after Penix passed another checkpoint in his recovery.
Penix was cleared to return to 11-on-11 work in practice on Saturday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Will the return of Penix to the practice field cause Tagovailoa to up his game? Or will Atlanta's third-year quarterback reestablish himself as the team's starting quarterback?
Penix deserves a fair shot at competing for Atlanta's starting job, especially after Tagovailoa has struggled throughout the preseason.
Tua Tagovailoa has not earned the right to be Atlanta's unquestioned starter
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) in action against the Denver Broncos in the first quater at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
One big reason why Penix deserves a chance to compete is that Tagovailoa didn't win the job outright already.
Tua had plenty of opportunities to establish himself as the team's starter while Penix was still recovering from injury. Unfortunately, he only created more questions about himself with his mediocre performances.
Tagovailoa struggled with fumble issues during practice and did not play well during his only taste of preseason action. He went 3-of-5 for 22 passing yards in limited action against the Broncos. The Falcons failed to score any points on Tua's two possessions leading the offense.
Tagovailoa admitted that he needs to play better after that preseason debacle.
“Definitely not up to standard, not even up to par. Start with the first drive, second play, just being able to catch the snap. Little things like that,” Tagovailoa said. “What we put out there is not a reflection of the hard work that we’ve put in the first two weeks of training camp, and it does no justice to the work our coaches have implemented. It starts with me. I’ve got to be better with that.”
The Falcons did not bother to play him in Saturday's preseason victory against the Colts. Instead, backup Jack Strand looked incredible, going 12-of-17 for 212 yards and a touchdown. That performance by itself makes Tua look terrible in comparison to the other quarterback talent on the roster.
Tua will probably get another chance to prove himself at some point during the regular season. But he simply hasn't done enough to prevent the Falcons from giving Penix a fair look, too.
Could Michael Penix Jr. give the Falcons a better chance at competing in 2026?
There is a fair argument to be made that Penix gives Atlanta the best chance to compete this fall.
Remember that Penix look pretty good in Atlanta's offense before his latest ACL injury.
Penix threw for 1,982 passing yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games before his injury. He also added a rushing touchdown for good measure. Penix was on pace for a respectable season if he had finished the 2025 campaign.
The biggest question for Penix at this point is whether or not he can get back to that level of play.
Of course, it may be too early to measure Penix against the 2025 version of himself immediately after he gets back into practice. That said, it should be apparent rather quickly if he is a better option than Tagovailoa from an X's and O's perspective.
Ultimately, it is a bit too soon to be certain that Penix will be a better option than Tagovailoa. After all, when just looking at each player's resume, Tua seems like the better option on paper.
It will be fascinating to see how the Falcons distribute reps between Penix and Tagovailoa over the next week of training camp practices.