The Falcons’ quarterback picture took another hit Monday, and that opens the door a little wider for undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said third-year passer Michael Penix Jr. (ACL) will begin the season inactive and didn’t offer a timetable for his return. That comes as a surprise after Penix had recently been cleared for 11-on-11 work in practice.
Atlanta’s quarterback room was already shaky. Penix was supposed to compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job, but it never really became a true battle after he missed most team activities in training camp.
Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphin, will start in Week 1 at the Pittsburgh Steelers (Fox, 1 p.m. ET), while former Dallas Cowboy Cooper Rush is set as QB2.
Strand enters as QB3, though that could change before long.
There’s at least some reason to think Strand might get a real shot this season. In a bold predictions piece published on Sept.
5, NFL.com’s Grant Gordon went as far as forecasting that Strand would start more games than Tagovailoa and Penix this year. That’s probably too aggressive, but the idea of Strand seeing the field is not far-fetched.
The reason is simple: both Tagovailoa and Penix come with injury baggage. Tagovailoa, a 2020 first-round pick, has been diagnosed with four concussions. Penix, a 2024 first-rounder, dealt with ACL tears and shoulder injuries during his six-year college run with the Indiana Hoosiers and Washington Huskies.
Even when they’ve been available, neither has exactly locked things down. Tagovailoa has gone 12-13 as a starter over his last two seasons, with 39 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions. Penix’s starting record sits at 4-8, with 12 touchdown passes and six interceptions.
Rush is the fallback option, and he has a 9-7 record as a starter over eight seasons. But if Atlanta really wants to find out what it has, Strand is the more interesting gamble. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound rookie flashed in the preseason, going 24-of-36 for 306 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
As Dane Brugler wrote in his scouting report: "Strand obviously faces a major jump in competition, but he has an intriguing developmental skill set with a whip for an arm, promising field vision and the processing to spread the ball around the field."
Tagovailoa could still surprise, and Penix could eventually get healthy and settle things down. But the safer bet is that both quarterbacks will keep the Falcons guessing.
With that in mind, Atlanta shouldn’t close the door on Strand. If he struggles, the team can move on and look toward the 2027 NFL Draft, where Darian Mensah (Miami Hurricanes) or Dante Moore (Oregon Ducks) could be in the mix.
If he plays well, the Falcons’ outlook at the sport’s most important position suddenly looks a lot better.
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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 🡒]
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Falcons Still Have One Roster Debate Fans Cant Ignore
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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 🡒]