The Falcons’ quarterback battle is still hanging in the balance, and Michael Penix Jr.’s health is the biggest reason why.
NFL insider James Palmer said Tua Tagovailoa is the “front-runner with an asterisk,” but he also stressed that the competition remains wide open. The key variable is when Penix gets fully cleared after ACL surgery. Palmer said there is a chance that happens by the start of training camp, and if it does, the race tightens immediately.
“Even though it’s wide open, Tua is kind of the front-runner with an asterisk,” Palmer said, via his social media. “Now, when does Michael Penix Jr. become medically cleared?
Now, my understanding is there is a chance he could be medically cleared to participate in full at the start of training camp. If that’s the case - don’t rule that out - that’s a really, really big step for Michael Penix Jr. to really make this as even as possible because that’s really where this stands.”
Palmer also pointed to circumstances in Miami near the end of Tagovailoa’s time there that, according to what he was told, won’t follow him to Atlanta. He said those issues affected Tagovailoa’s play and his standing as a player, but that Atlanta presents a different setup.
“There were some things that transpired in Miami - I was told - towards the end of his time there that will not be factors for him in Atlanta. Some of the things that maybe impacted his play and impacted where he was as a football player that were happening in Miami at the end are not present in Atlanta. So you’re seeing him operate in a system that a lot of people close to him believe is very favorable.”
In New Orleans, the Saints are getting a look at two receivers who could carve out real roles behind Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Devaughn Vele and Ja’Lynn Polk are starting to stand out as depth options, and with Olave missing spring work because of blood clots, the Saints plan to lean on both players heavily this offseason.
The Saints also heard from center Erik McCoy, who addressed the injuries that have cost him 20 games over the last two seasons. McCoy didn’t dress it up. He called it bad luck and said the physical nature of football leaves room for things to go wrong no matter how prepared a player is.
“S- just happens,” McCoy said, via Luke Johnson of The Times-Picayune. “It was the luck of the draw, I still stick to that.
Healthy, unhealthy. Yes, there are certain things you can do to prepare, but at the end of the day, it’s football, s- happens, and it’s just the luck of the draw.”
He said the torn bicep that ended his season last year came on a play he had executed countless times before, but the wrong angle turned it into a season-ender.
“It’s hard as an athlete, but it’s the name of the game,” McCoy continued. “Last year, the play where I tore my bicep was something I’ve done a million times, and I saw people do it a million times after that.
It just happened to be that impact angle and, you know, it ended my season. It was tough.
But I’m going to keep doing what I can to mitigate those risks and hopefully I’ll be lucky. Hopefully all of us will be lucky, but I want to be lucky, too.”
McCoy said he understands injuries are always in the back of a player’s mind, but he refuses to let that change how he plays.
“There’s always going to be an awareness (of injuries), but you can’t play with an awareness, you know what I mean?” McCoy concluded.
“It’s kind of just got to be reckless abandon, and whatever happens happens. I’m going to keep that same mentality.
I don’t want to be a guy that plays timid, that plays soft, that plays afraid to get hurt. If I play like that, I should quit football.”
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