Bijan Robinson is sounding plenty comfortable with Michael Penix back in the mix, and for the Falcons, that’s a welcome development with the season creeping closer.
Penix was cleared for team drills with three weeks left before the opener, and the team was eager to get him back into 11-on-11 work after he had been limited to 7-on-7 drills. That return matters for Atlanta’s backfield, where Robinson could benefit from a quarterback who can stretch the field with more zip and range.
Robinson addressed Penix’s return after practice, and he kept the mood light despite everything Penix has been through. Penix is dealing with his third career ACL tear and fifth season-ending injury since his college days at Indiana, but he’s apparently managed to keep his sense of humor intact.
The quarterback picture, though, has shifted hard in recent weeks. Tua Tagovailoa entered the summer as the favorite in the competition and got most of the 11-on-11 reps while Penix was sidelined. But Tagovailoa has now fallen so far short of expectations that Penix appears to be the one with the edge, even with very little time left before the season starts.
That doesn’t mean the Falcons are ready to settle it just yet. Penix won’t play in Friday night’s preseason finale, which gives Tagovailoa one last shot to make his case for the Week 1 job.
No matter how the quarterback battle ends, Robinson is expected to be the centerpiece of the offense. The Falcons are likely to lean on him early, often, in the middle, late, in crunch-time and after games too. Robinson is expected to play Friday, though not for long.
In Other News...
Falcons Roster Cuts Just Put More Bubble Players On Notice
The roster squeeze has already started in Flowery Branch, with the Falcons moving to trim down to the NFLs Sunday, 6 p.m. EST deadline. Atlanta has begun its cuts by parting with linebacker Channing Tindall, offensive lineman Brandon Walton and defensive tackle Eric Johnson, a first wave that also included wide receiver Keelan Marion, tight end Josh Simon, guard Jaeden Roberts, tackle Andrew Steuber, defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell, linebacker Daveren Rayner and safety Keidron Smith.
Those names are part of the annual hard part of camp, when depth-chart hopefuls and practice-squad candidates suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the numbers. More moves are still expected before the deadline, which means the bubble has only gotten hotter for the remaining players trying to survive the final round of roster trimming. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Made A QB Decision Fans Were Hoping For
The early roster picture in Atlanta got a little more interesting when undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand survived training camp and cracked the Falcons initial 53-man roster. For a player who arrived without draft-day fanfare, making the cut is a sign the team saw enough in him to keep him around as it sorts out the rest of its quarterback room.
Atlanta is expected to carry four quarterbacks, with Strand joining Cooper Rush, Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. The move also suggests the Falcons were unwilling to take the chance of exposing Strand to waivers, where another team could have claimed him, and that alone says plenty about how much value they see in keeping him close. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Made A Cutdown-Day Move That Changes The D-Line
Amid the final waves of roster trimming, the Falcons added a notable piece to their defensive front by bringing in defensive tackle Gervon Dexter from the Bears in a deal that sent cornerback Clark Phillips II and a fifth-round pick to Chicago. It is the sort of late-summer move that can quietly reshape a depth chart, especially for a team trying to sort out its line while dealing with injuries and locking in the 53-man roster.
Dexter arrives with the kind of pedigree that makes this more than a stopgap swap. A former second-round pick, he gives Atlanta another body inside and a player the staff can plug into the pass rush and the broader defensive rotation as the season approaches. The Falcons have been looking for ways to stabilize that group, and this trade suggests they were willing to spend some value to make the front sturdier now. [Read more 🡒]