The Falcons’ quarterback situation still isn’t settled, even if one side of the conversation has seemed louder all spring.
Tua Tagovailoa, the free-agent addition, has long been viewed as the front-runner to open the season as Atlanta’s Week 1 starter over 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. But Tagovailoa pushed back on the idea that the job is already his during a Tuesday appearance on NFL Network.
“I view it as a competition,” Tagovailoa explained, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I understand [Penix] can’t take some team reps right now because of what he’s going through, but he’s still being able to compete in seven-on-seven, he’s still able to go through some plays. It’s definitely a competition.”
Penix has spent spring workouts recovering from surgery he needed last fall to repair a partially torn ACL, and he may not be fully cleared until later in August. As of Wednesday morning, it also appears unlikely that he’ll play in Atlanta’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 14.
Tagovailoa has had his own camp hiccup, too. He was slowed early in training camp by a back issue, though ESPN’s Marc Raimondi reported Tuesday that Tagovailoa expects to be practicing fully on Wednesday.
Tagovailoa said the problem isn’t anything serious.
“Nothing too serious, just a caution kind of thing where we’re not rushing it. It was just a flare-up, nothing big, not anything long-term. We’ll be fine,” Tagovailoa said.
If that holds, Tagovailoa should see plenty of work against the Broncos two Fridays from now. A strong showing there could give him a real edge in the battle for the starting role. But if he struggles in that exhibition or the back issue turns into something more significant over the next couple of weeks, Penix could still find a path back to the top of the depth chart.
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