Kevin Stefanski isn’t ready to hand out a quarterback answer yet, and that leaves the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 2 picture looking every bit as messy as it did after the opener.
After the season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stefanski said Wednesday that the team still hasn’t settled on a starter for Sunday’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
“We will have a quarterback, yes,” Stefanski said. When asked who it will be, he responded, “Not yet, but we’ll work through that this week.”
That uncertainty has opened the door for a wide-ranging competition, and Stefanski made it clear he isn’t locking anyone out of the discussion.
“I’d say we’re working through it. I’m not ruling anyone out,” he said.
“Tua’s not going to practice today, but he’s getting better. Cooper and Mike will practice today, so we’ll work with it.”
That puts all four quarterbacks in the mix.
Tagovailoa entered the season as Atlanta’s starter after Penix was ruled out, but he couldn’t go in Week 1 because of an oblique injury. That forced Rush into the lineup against Pittsburgh, and the offense never really found its rhythm.
Rush finished 12 of 22 for 143 yards, with one touchdown, two interceptions and four sacks taken. Atlanta scored just 10 points in the loss, which only sharpened the pressure around the position heading into this week.
Even so, Rush has a chance to rebound from that rough first start. Stefanski said he will be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice after dealing with back spasms following the opener.
The Falcons also still believe Rush can grow into the role.
“With more reps, with more turns, that experience becomes confidence,” Stefanski said.
Penix, meanwhile, has been cleared to practice for several weeks, giving Atlanta a longer runway to evaluate where he is. But that clearance doesn’t mean he’s automatically back in the starting role.
“Not going to give any specifics, as you can imagine, with all of our rep plans, but continues to progress and is impressive,” Stefanski said.
He added that Penix’s status will continue to be handled one day at a time.
“Mike’s progressing and doing a good job, but we’ll see where it goes,” he said.
Stefanski said the team wants to make the decision with the full picture in mind, not by forcing the issue before it’s time.
“I think all of us, on the coaching staff, on the medical staff, all of our players, Mike in this case, want to always do what’s best for our players,” Stefanski said. “I feel really, really confident in the plan.”
And then there’s Jack Strand, the undrafted free agent, who also hasn’t been ruled out.
That’s how open this situation remains. Stefanski said Atlanta would prefer certainty, but flexibility is the reality right now.
“In an ideal world, I think everybody, every team, you do want to know who’s playing at every position,” Stefanski said. “That’s a no brainer.
I get that part. But we’re going to be flexible and then make sure that we’re giving all of our guys the ability to go play and play well.”
For now, the Falcons are leaving the door open across the board.
“You have to be flexible,” Stefanski said. “You take all these decisions based on the information available.”
With Tagovailoa recovering, Rush trying to bounce back from a difficult debut, Penix back on the practice field and Strand still in the conversation, Atlanta’s quarterback call could stay the biggest storyline of the week.
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