The Atlanta Falcons have been urging patience on the Michael Penix Jr. injury front, but there's real reason to believe Penix could be good to go if they call upon him in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers after he was spotted throwing on the field during Falcons' rookie minicamp last weekend.
It was in a T-Shirt and sweats, but seeing him throw at all six months post-ACL tear is an incredible feat. The usual recovery time for reconstructive ACL surgery is between six and nine months, and he tore his ACL in November, so the Falcons can feel comfortable with Penix as their Week 1 starter now that their 2026 schedule has been released.
Many believed that Penix wouldn't even be ready in time for Week 1, let alone training camp, but he's already back on the field two months before training camp is even set to begin. And the fact that he's so ahead of schedule that he was able to take some throws during minicamp makes Kevin Stefanski's life easier, but I still wouldn't count on him actually starting in Pittsburgh on Sept. 13.
Tua Tagovailoa, not Michael Penix Jr., is bound to start for the Falcons against the Steelers in Week 1
Even with Penix getting healthy, the QB situation is wildly uncertain. The Dirty Birds are not going to rush the 2024 first-round pick back onto the field. They have two signal-callers they feel comfortable starting, but now that we know the Steelers are the Week 1 foe, they don't have to worry as much.
The Steelers are in the midst of their own QB battle between Drew Allar and Will Howard, so somehow, the Falcons have the better QB room in their Week 1 matchup. Yes, Pittsburgh made tha playoffs in 2025, but with a new coach in Mike McCarthy and a wildly mediocre roster, this is a very winnable game despite the difficult road enviornment.
Here's the issue with Penix: Tua Tagovailoa. Atlanta signed a viable starter in free agency for an incredibly cheap price, who will offer Atlanta the flexibility to not rush the 26-year-old back into the lineup. But they need to do is start the signal-caller who will give them the best chance to win now.
In the event that Tagovailoa struggles or his play isn't amounting to wins, Stefanski can turn back to Penix. He's the guy they want to invest in long-term, but it's a make-or-break situation. If he plays well, he'll earn a longer leash, but Atlanta could just draft their franchise QB in a loaded 2027 draft class.
Now that Penix is progressing, the Falcons are still in the midst of a true QB battle set to take shape during training camp. It's not a situation where it's Tagovailoa's job to lose anymore. The Heisman Trophy runner-up's priority was always getting healthy, but he knows he'll be good to go for Week 1.
But just because he's healthy doesn't mean he'll start instantly They signed Tua to start in the interim, and now that the schedule has been released, having an easier Week 1 matchup means the Falcons will start the signal-caller they think gives them the best shot to start 1-0, which is the veteran.
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