The Falcons’ quarterback picture is drawing plenty of side-eye around the league, and not much of it is flattering.
Tua Tagovailoa’s first preseason outing in Atlanta did little to quiet the noise. In the Falcons’ 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Aug. 14, the free-agency signing completed just three of five passes for 22 yards. That was the kind of line that leaves more questions than answers, especially with Michael Penix Jr. still working his way back from the surgery he had last fall to repair a partially torn ACL.
On Monday, Jason La Canfora of Casino.org reported that some NFL people are already skeptical about how Atlanta’s quarterback situation is unfolding. He wrote: “Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looks washed - not a surprise in the least- and that is a major problem," La Canfora wrote."
Executives around the league we trust have been scoffing at Stefanski’s first offseason in real time as it came together. They don’t buy Tua, and the fact that he immediately missed practice time with a back injury is suboptimal.
Nothing about the former top-five pick looked remotely comfortable or productive as the Broncos pushed Atlanta around for four quarters in their exhibition opener.”
Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reported that Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Penix will not participate in any 11-on-11 work before Atlanta’s preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. Even with Penix sidelined from that part of practice, Stefanski stopped short of giving Tagovailoa the Week 1 job on the spot.
The expectation from the outside is obvious enough: Tagovailoa appears to be the likeliest option to start Atlanta’s Sept. 13 opener at the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Stefanski made clear he is not rushing to a decision.
“I am very comfortable with where we are right now, and that’s kind of where I will leave it," Stefanski added about the Falcons' quarterback situation on Monday, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "We are continuing on our process, keeping the main thing the main thing, which is the practices this week."
That process could stretch all the way through the preseason finale, when the Falcons visit the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 28. That would leave Atlanta waiting until the end before finally settling on a Week 1 quarterback.
In Other News...
Falcons QB Picture Just Got More Complicated After Jack Strands Debut
The Falcons added former Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith, but the more immediate conversation out of the preseason game against the Broncos centered on the quarterback room. Atlanta did not get much from its passers overall, and undrafted rookie Jack Strand emerged as the most encouraging of the group in his first NFL action. The debut was modest, but it still gave the Falcons a small glimpse of a young quarterback trying to carve out a place in a competition that already has a lot of moving parts.
Kevin Stefanski came away praising Strands attitude and potential, which matters for a player trying to make noise in a crowded situation. Michael Penix is still viewed as a possible starter once healthy, so Strands showing does not change the top-line outlook by itself, but it does add another layer to a quarterback picture that already has a lot to sort through. For a Falcons team looking for stability under center, even a brief preseason flash can feel worth tracking. [Read more 🡒]
Tua Tagovailoa Just Put Falcons Fans On Notice For 2026
Tua Tagovailoas latest turn in the spotlight came with a little perspective, as the quarterback looked back on his release from the Dolphins and the advice that helped him handle the moment. The former Alabama star said he drew on guidance from Nick Saban to process the setback, a reminder that even in a league built on quick judgments, some of the best players keep moving by leaning on the lessons that shaped them.
For Falcons fans, the bigger takeaway is what comes next. Atlanta is expected to have a real opening for Tagovailoa in 2026, and the opportunity is there for him to step into a prominent role as the team manages Michael Penix Jr.s recovery from a knee injury. It is the kind of situation that can reshape a quarterbacks career fast, and it gives the Falcons another layer of intrigue heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Roster Battle Just Got Real In Joint Practices With Colts
The Falcons are turning quickly from their preseason loss to the Broncos and into a stretch of joint practices with the Colts, a setting that usually tells a little more about the roster than a game in August ever can. For Atlanta, these sessions carry extra weight because they are part of the final ramp-up toward the regular-season opener, and they give the coaching staff a better look at how players handle real competition against someone elses scheme.
Several names have a chance to move themselves up the depth chart over the next few days, with linebacker Josh Woods, wide receiver Vinny Anthony II, offensive lineman Kam Dewberry, safety Jammie Robinson and quarterback Jack Strand among the players trying to make their case. Joint practices tend to sharpen every rep, and for the Falcons that means the conversation is less about who flashed in a preseason setting and more about who can keep stacking good work when the pressure tightens. [Read more 🡒]