The Atlanta Falcons will officially start training camp in a little less than three weeks, and the anticipation has never been higher. It'll be our first real look of what the Kevin Stefanski era will look like in Atlanta, and seeing the more intense practice sessions is going to be a welcomed change.
The Falcons will have 12 practice sessions open to the media between late July and most of August, and two of those are joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts before the second preseason game. So the litmus test in terms of what to expect once training camp kicks off is going to reveal a lot.
The big change will be in terms of the position battles and the competitions the Falcons are set to embark on once July 29 rolls around. The QB battle between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa is the big one, but these three players are set to be the trio that spark the most chaos in training camp.
Expect these 3 Falcons players to be at the center of chaos this summer
QB Michael Penix Jr.
All offseason long, the insinuation has been that Tua Tagovailoa will be Atlanta's Week 1 starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Penix still very much has a dog in this fight, especially since he's already progressed far more than the Dirty Birds expected in his ACL recovery.
The 26-year-old suffered a partially-torn ACL back in Week 11 (mid-November) and started throwing in March, three months after his surgery. He progressed to the point of 7-on-7s during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but has yet to be cleared for full contact--but fear not, that's coming soon.
Penix is expected to be cleared for 11-on-11 either in time for the start of training camp, or very early into training camp, and if that's the case, the Falcons' quarterback competition will be as wide open as previously anticipated-- and there's a real world in which the 2024 first-rounder wins the job because of the investment the franchise has in him. If he's healthy, he'll ignite some chaos.
LB Kendal Daniels
Yet another injured player has a unique opportunity to do damage during training camp. Fourth-round rookie Kendal Daniels has missed the vast majority of offseason activities due to an undisclosed injury, and as soon as he gets healthy, it may not take long for him to play a key role on defense.
Training camp was meant to ignite a position battle for the second starting linebacker spot next to Divine Deablo, but Christian Harris took advantage of Daniels' absence to pull away. But as soon as the Oklahoma product is healthy, Jeff Ulbrich will be enamored with his athleticism for a 6-foot-5, 242-pound safety convert as the perfect running mate for Deablo.
CB/S Sydney Brown
Ian Cunningham didn't trade for Sydney Brown for him to not see the field all that often. Once again, Ulbrich sees untapped potential in the 26-year-old, who was one of the standouts of OTAs. And once training camp rolls around, we should once again see him thrive in a defense set up for him to thrive.
Brown is plenty intriguing to Falcons fans, and for good reason. The fourth-year safety was a third-round pick in 2023 and has the athleticism and versatility needed to find a niche role. And entering a contract year, training camp will be the first chance for him to display the chip on his shoulder while playing both in the nickel and as the team's third safety in 2026 with Billy Bowman Jr. still sidelined.
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