Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has a lot riding on him entering this 2026 NFL season. One could argue his career as a starting quarterback is in jeopardy.
There’s no secret that Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will compete for the starting job. Due to Michael Penix’s injury history, Bleacher Report has Penix predicted to ‘bust’ during the 2026 season.
“Michael Penix Jr. will compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job in a crucial offseason that could change his career trajectory, but he’s off to a slow start. The third-year signal-caller is still recovering from a partially torn ACL. The team didn’t clear him for 11-on-11 drills during the spring,” Moe Moton wrote in the Bleacher Report article.
Tua Tagovailoa May Have Upper Hand in Competition
Alex Van Pelt, the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach, explained where the quarterback competition stands at this point in the offseason.
“It’s tough having a competition when both guys aren’t competing at the same level (physically),” Van Pelt said in an Atlanta Falcons article. “… [Michael Penix Jr.] has done a great job of getting himself to where he is right now. Really impressed to see him take 7-on-7 reps, but really, there is no competition until we can actually evaluate them equally.”
Because of Michael Penix Jr.’s availability, Tua Tagovailoa has taken over first team reps.
Penix’s injury could come back to bite him in the worst way. The longer he stays sidelined, the more Tagovailoa gains Kevin Stefanski’s trust as the first team’s quarterback. We can all be sure that Tua Tagovailoa getting all of these quality reps has Kevin Stefanski thinking heading into training camp.
Throughout social media, we’ve seen Tua Tagovailoa making some impressive throws during practice including one to Drake London during practice.
According to an ESPN article, Tua Tagovailoa has shined at minicamp.
“In an 11-on-11 team session in the red zone, the quarterback went 3-for-3 with a touchdown pass over the middle to running back Bijan Robinson. He also had completions during that series to rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch and free agent acquisition Jahan Dotson,” Marc Raimondi wrote in the ESPN article.
Michael Penix Jr.’s Health Concerns
Overall, Penix’s health has been a problem in the past. Penix Jr. entered the 2025 season as the starter for the Atlanta Falcons.
Before Michael Penix Jr. went down with an ACL injury, he completed 60.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,982 yards during the 2025 season. He had nine total touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
“By default, Tagovailoa has the upper hand in this battle heading into training camp. As the Falcons’ starter from the previous two seasons, Penix doesn’t have the advantage of being the incumbent under a new coaching staff,” Moton wrote.
Despite Penix wanting a Week 1 return, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported he has not been cleared to practice fully. Meanwhile, Penix says he’s “right where he needs to be”.
“Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. has not been cleared yet to resume practice due to last season’s knee injury but he told reporters, “(I’m) Right where I need to be.” Schefter wrote on his official X account.
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