The Atlanta Falcons still haven’t made their Week 1 quarterback call, but that wait may not last much longer.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said he expects the announcement could come as soon as Monday, rather than dragging all the way into the week of the opener. “Well, it's not final yet, but early this week, I suspect as early as Monday, when Kevin Stefanski addresses the media, that he could announce this thing,” said Fowler. Now I know Stefanski has long considered waiting until he had to release more of an official depth chart for Week 1, which is typically on a Wednesday, but I'm not sure he waits that long."
While the quarterback situation hangs over the team, the Falcons also made a quick move on the edge of the roster. San Francisco signed Khalid Kareem off Atlanta’s practice squad on Friday, just days after the Falcons added him on Tuesday. Kareem now heads to the 49ers to reunite with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who coached him for two seasons when he was Atlanta’s head coach.
Atlanta responded by bringing back Bralen Trice to fill Kareem’s spot on the 16-man practice squad. Trice, a former third-round pick, missed back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025 with season-ending injuries and then fell short of making the 53-man roster at last week’s cutdown deadline. He has not played in a regular-season NFL game yet, but with the Falcons already thin at starting edge rusher, there is still a path for him to debut this season if he remains on the practice squad.
The quarterback competition is also drawing national attention beyond Week 1. NFL.com’s Grant Gordon made a bold call in a new predictions feature, projecting undrafted rookie Jack Strand to start “more than half” of Atlanta’s games in 2026.
Gordon wrote: "Jack Strand takes over as Falcons starting QB: Atlanta will see Strand end the season with more starts than Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Strand will start more than half the campaign for Atlanta, showing some promise, but not enough to dissuade the Falcons from plucking a quarterback in the talent-rich 2027 NFL Draft."
And while the quarterback spotlight gets most of the oxygen, Jessie Bates III is quietly looming as one of Atlanta’s biggest future decisions. NFL.com ranked the Falcons safety No. 23 on its list of the top 25 free agents in 2027, with Gregg Rosenthal writing, "In a thin year for free-agent safeties, Bates still brings veteran know-how," Bates is scheduled to hit free agency next offseason, and he’d have no shortage of interest if he gets there. The former Cincinnati Bengals standout has not missed a game since arriving in Atlanta, earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2025, and at 29 is still playing at a high level.
In Other News...
Falcons Week 1 Quarterback Decision Just Raised A Bigger Offensive Question
The Falcons have settled their Week 1 quarterback spot, with Tua Tagovailoa earning the job over Michael Penix Jr. after a summer competition. He will open the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving Atlanta a clear answer at the most scrutinized position on the roster as the team tries to get its offense pointed in the right direction.
But the decision also leaves a bigger question hanging over the group, especially with Atlanta set to keep four quarterbacks on the roster in Tagovailoa, Penix, Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. The depth chart now has a defined top spot, yet the way the Falcons chose to build around it suggests the quarterback room will remain one of the most closely watched parts of the team as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Strange Running Back Decision Finally Makes Sense
The Falcons decision to open the 2026 season with just two running backs on the 53-man roster looked odd at first, especially with Tyler Goodson expected to be the No. 3 option. Instead, Atlanta kept Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. active and pushed Goodson to the practice squad, a move tied directly to the teams choice to carry four quarterbacks on the roster as insurance.
For a team trying to balance depth across the roster, it was less about running back numbers than protecting itself at the most important spot on the field. Falcons executive Ian Cunningham made clear the setup is not fixed, either, saying the roster could change during the season depending on quarterback health and other needs, which leaves open the possibility that Atlantas backfield picture is only temporary. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Still Have One Roster Debate Fans Cant Ignore
With the Falcons settling in around their 53-man roster for the upcoming season, the next phase is the part every front office has to navigate with patience: checking the practice squad market for help. There are always a few players around the league who slip through waivers, and for a team trying to squeeze every bit of value out of the bottom of the roster, that becomes a useful place to look.
Five names from other teams practice squads are already being floated as possible fits for Atlanta, each tied to a different need. Nothing is set, and that is what keeps the discussion alive, because the Falcons could still decide their best move is to wait, pounce later, or make a quiet addition that changes the depth chart in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]