Whether you like it or not — and I know a great many of you do NOT like it — Tua Tagovailoa is the Falcons’ starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Steelers
. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s Tua’s job to lose.Michael Penix Jr. is expected to take over the starting job at some point, but as of right now, he isn’t ready.
“I want to be stronger,” Penix told the media after Monday’s practice. “I want to be able to be out there and give my team 100%. And if I don’t feel I can do that, that’s
not fair for this team. It’s not fair for the organization. I want to make sure whenever I am out there, I’m 100%.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media Monday that he is on the “same page” with Penix and the medical team, and they feel good about Penix’s progress.
“I think it’s important for us as coaches and organizations to understand that’s a case-by-case basis on how guys would be ready to play based on where they are in their own head, if you will,” Stefanski said. “When it comes to players, you can get cleared for 11 on 11, or you’re cleared for a game, but then you have to be able to do your job.”
And that seems to be the issue for Michael Penix Jr., who repeated a couple of times that his teammates deserve the best version of him as a starting quarterback.
Penix has plenty of experience returning from injury, and that experience has informed his approach to returning to the field this time around.
“I’ve been in the position where I did rush back and I didn’t feel confident, and I didn’t play good and it didn’t look good. So it’s like, I know whenever I do step on that football field, I want to be 100% for this team,” Penix said.
I mentioned this in my reporting from Monday’s practice, but I believe we could see Penix take over as the starter as early as Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. The previous week, the Falcons will take on the Packers at Lambeau on Thursday Night Football, and that little mini-bye after the Thursday Night game might be a perfect opportunity to make a change.
Of course, the NFL season is full of surprises, so who knows. Maybe Tua comes out and plays like a future Hall of Famer against the Steelers. The Falcons may have a tough time making a move if Tua’s playing lights out. But barring any extraordinary play from Tua or any setbacks for Penix, in my opinion, that’s the earliest we could see Penix take over as the Falcons’ starter.
Is that possible for Penix physically? He said a few times on Monday he’s “very close” to being ready, but he doesn’t want to put a timetable on it. If he’s feeling any pressure to solidify his spot as the team’s franchise quarterback this season, he’s keeping that to himself.
“It’s not about having a big year for me,” he said. “You know, it’s mainly about, I want to be able to give this organization, this team 100%. And if I feel like I can’t do that, that’s not fair for them. And I love this organization, and I want to make sure that whenever I do step out on the field, I’m ready.”
Penix will be inactive for this week’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Stefanski. Tua Tagovailoa will start, and Cooper Rush will be the team’s backup.
