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The Atlanta Falcons have wrapped up their mandatory minicamp and are off until training camp begins next month. While this tends to be the slowest time of the year for NFL news, it gives us plenty of time to dissect the team's quarterback battle between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa.
The Falcons official training camp reporting dates have been announced. Rookies will arrive on July 24, with the veterans coming on July 28. Penix is set to meet with his doctors during the break and hopes to be cleared for contract before he returns.
The coaching staff has been adamant that the battle can't officially start until Penix is healthy, but Tagovailoa seems to have made a good impression throughout OTAs.
To give you a better idea of where things stand with the Falcons QB competition, we've rounded up the latest comments from media members, former players and the two quarterbacks themselves.
"I think competition is gonna be there whether it is said or whether it's not said," said Tagovailoa. "This is the NFL. You're either coming out there to compete or you're not. I think we've all been in this league for some time to know this isn't something you can walk through. This is something that whether it's in the meeting room, we've all got to take our job serious and whatever capacity we can do it - I look at it all as competition."
"I feel confident with everything," Penix said during last week's minicamp. "Sometimes the trainers stand to the side and tell me no you can't do it. And I'm like, I feel like I can do it. But I just listen to those guys and just continue to trust my body, trust my knee. If it was up to me, I'd do 11-on-11 now."
"While Michael Penix Jr. has made good strides in his recovery from last year's ACL injury, he has yet to be cleared for 11-on-11 action," wrote McFadden. "Until Penix participates in every aspect of practice, it's difficult to compare his performance with Tua Tagovailoa, who has been working with the starters in full-team periods. Penix is hopeful he will be cleared for 11-on-11 work by the start of training camp, but that decision is ultimately up to his medical team. Until he's able to get the all-clear, Atlanta's quarterback competition is in stasis."
"Now, one thing that helps Tua - I was told that in Kevin Stefanski's offense, the most important thing that he values is accuracy," said Fowler. "When I asked a team source what has Tua done this spring, I was told that he's been really accurate. So that does help his cause. But Penix, they have not given up on him either. This could be a situation where he could ease his way back in. Maybe Tua is a bit of a stopgap option for them. They could go multiple ways here."
"Penix has been limited this offseason," wrote Edholm. "He has done 7-on-7 work. It's not nothing. If Penix had been stuck on the stationary bike during these June sessions, I'd be more concerned. Stefanski said that Penix is exactly where he needs to be at this stage. But consider me a little worried about his ability to get cleared, stay healthy and beat out Tagovailoa for the Week 1 starting job. Penix figures to play at some point -- Tua has only started a full season once in six years -- but winning the job from the outset feels like more of a reach to me right now."
"To ask if Tagovailoa's 2025 season was a blip or a trend, we have to first wonder how much of his previous offensive success was a blip itself," wrote Solak. "Tagovailoa's efficiency shot through the ceiling in 2022 under McDaniel, who had sculpted a perfect offense to highlight his strengths -- the quick release, the willingness to throw accurate balls into tight coverage -- and conceal his weaknesses. But that was a blip. It's hard to sustain an explosive passing game when the quarterback lacks strong downfield accuracy given modest arm strength."
"Penix's injury has sort of clouded this looming competition, but Tagovailoa has taken advantage early," wrote Sullivan. "With Penix still limited to 7-on-7s, Tagovailoa has thrived in team drills, with ESPN noting that he arguably had his best day of the spring on Wednesday. During 11-on-11s in the red zone, Tagovailoa completed all three of his passes, which included a touchdown to Bijan Robinson. Even if Penix is cleared to be a full go to begin training camp, Tagovailoa has laid a foundation to be the first quarterback up during reps, and I wonder if he'll ever let go of the rope from here on out."
"Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons is a good fit," Samuel wrote on his social media account. "The Atlanta Falcons are a team to look out for this season. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons win the NFC South."
"I just think Michael Penix is super talented," White told 680 The Fan on his QB preference. "I mean, when I go out to practice and I watch him throw the ball, he can make every throw around the field. I think, you know, with Kevin [Stefanski] coming in, the windows and the pictures are going to be much more open."
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Michael Penix Jr. vs. Tua Tagovailoa: Latest on Falcons QB battle
Continue reading...
The Falcons official training camp reporting dates have been announced. Rookies will arrive on July 24, with the veterans coming on July 28. Penix is set to meet with his doctors during the break and hopes to be cleared for contract before he returns.
The coaching staff has been adamant that the battle can't officially start until Penix is healthy, but Tagovailoa seems to have made a good impression throughout OTAs.
To give you a better idea of where things stand with the Falcons QB competition, we've rounded up the latest comments from media members, former players and the two quarterbacks themselves.
Tua Tagovailoa on QB battle
"I think competition is gonna be there whether it is said or whether it's not said," said Tagovailoa. "This is the NFL. You're either coming out there to compete or you're not. I think we've all been in this league for some time to know this isn't something you can walk through. This is something that whether it's in the meeting room, we've all got to take our job serious and whatever capacity we can do it - I look at it all as competition."
Michael Penix Jr. thinks he's ready to return
"I feel confident with everything," Penix said during last week's minicamp. "Sometimes the trainers stand to the side and tell me no you can't do it. And I'm like, I feel like I can do it. But I just listen to those guys and just continue to trust my body, trust my knee. If it was up to me, I'd do 11-on-11 now."
Falcons reporter Will McFadden on QB battle
"While Michael Penix Jr. has made good strides in his recovery from last year's ACL injury, he has yet to be cleared for 11-on-11 action," wrote McFadden. "Until Penix participates in every aspect of practice, it's difficult to compare his performance with Tua Tagovailoa, who has been working with the starters in full-team periods. Penix is hopeful he will be cleared for 11-on-11 work by the start of training camp, but that decision is ultimately up to his medical team. Until he's able to get the all-clear, Atlanta's quarterback competition is in stasis."
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Falcons QBs, Tua's accuracy
"Now, one thing that helps Tua - I was told that in Kevin Stefanski's offense, the most important thing that he values is accuracy," said Fowler. "When I asked a team source what has Tua done this spring, I was told that he's been really accurate. So that does help his cause. But Penix, they have not given up on him either. This could be a situation where he could ease his way back in. Maybe Tua is a bit of a stopgap option for them. They could go multiple ways here."
NFL.com's Eric Edholm on Falcons QB battle
"Penix has been limited this offseason," wrote Edholm. "He has done 7-on-7 work. It's not nothing. If Penix had been stuck on the stationary bike during these June sessions, I'd be more concerned. Stefanski said that Penix is exactly where he needs to be at this stage. But consider me a little worried about his ability to get cleared, stay healthy and beat out Tagovailoa for the Week 1 starting job. Penix figures to play at some point -- Tua has only started a full season once in six years -- but winning the job from the outset feels like more of a reach to me right now."
ESPN's Ben Solak sees Tagovailoa's struggles as trend
"To ask if Tagovailoa's 2025 season was a blip or a trend, we have to first wonder how much of his previous offensive success was a blip itself," wrote Solak. "Tagovailoa's efficiency shot through the ceiling in 2022 under McDaniel, who had sculpted a perfect offense to highlight his strengths -- the quick release, the willingness to throw accurate balls into tight coverage -- and conceal his weaknesses. But that was a blip. It's hard to sustain an explosive passing game when the quarterback lacks strong downfield accuracy given modest arm strength."
CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan on Falcons QB battle
"Penix's injury has sort of clouded this looming competition, but Tagovailoa has taken advantage early," wrote Sullivan. "With Penix still limited to 7-on-7s, Tagovailoa has thrived in team drills, with ESPN noting that he arguably had his best day of the spring on Wednesday. During 11-on-11s in the red zone, Tagovailoa completed all three of his passes, which included a touchdown to Bijan Robinson. Even if Penix is cleared to be a full go to begin training camp, Tagovailoa has laid a foundation to be the first quarterback up during reps, and I wonder if he'll ever let go of the rope from here on out."
Former Falcons CB Asante Samuel on Team Tua
"Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons is a good fit," Samuel wrote on his social media account. "The Atlanta Falcons are a team to look out for this season. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons win the NFC South."
Former Falcons WR Roddy White on Team Penix
"I just think Michael Penix is super talented," White told 680 The Fan on his QB preference. "I mean, when I go out to practice and I watch him throw the ball, he can make every throw around the field. I think, you know, with Kevin [Stefanski] coming in, the windows and the pictures are going to be much more open."
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Michael Penix Jr. vs. Tua Tagovailoa: Latest on Falcons QB battle
Continue reading...
