The Atlanta Falcons will almost assuredly go into the 2026 season with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa starting under center.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Tagovailoa's main competition for the job, told reporters on Wednesday that he's "another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage" coming off his ACL surgery but added "it could be earlier," per the team's Tori McElhaney.
Presumably, that means Penix is roughly a month or so away from actually being able to practice at full speed. In such a crucial chemistry-building and scheme implementation period as training camp, Tagovailoa will have the inside track to win the job without much actual competition.
While Tagovailoa is out right now with a back issue, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported
that he should be back on the field next week. The team just signed Cooper Rush to bolster the quarterback room.
It's just going to be hard for Penix to win the gig outright if he's not able to practice at full ability, particularly with a new coaching staff and offensive scheme in place under Kevin Stefanski.
Penix said when he saw his doctor that the timeline they gave was "another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) July 29, 2026
"But at the same time, it could be earlier," he said. "It really just depends on how my body is going throughout this whole camp process." https://t.co/9c5Z75Dwsy
If you're a Falcons fan, buckle up for Tua season.
When does the season start for the Falcons?
Sept. 13 at noon in Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Tua Tagovailoa will likely win the Falcons quarterback competition
