The Atlanta Falcons may have just given Michael Penix Jr. his most important opportunity yet to catch Tua Tagovailoa in the quarterback competition…
ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported that head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the Falcons will have Penix participate in 7-on-7 work next week during their joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts next week.
Now that may not sound like a massive thing on the surface. But considering where this QB battle currently stands, it could be a huge moment for him. Tua is starting Friday's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos and will play at least the first series with Atlanta's starters. Penix, meanwhile, won’t play.
Michael Penix Jr. finally has a chance to change the momentum in the Falcons' QB battle
While the Falcons keep acting like the starting job remains up for grabs, the reality is that Tua is pulling away and Penix is running out of time to change that. Stefanski has decided that Tua will start against Denver and play with the starters. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand will follow suit..
That creates a difficult situation for Penix. Every day he remains limited is another day Tua gets to show Stefanski what he can do in the offense. The Falcons are scheduled to hold joint practices in Indianapolis next week, and now we know Michael Penix Jr. will be part of the 7-on-7 work.
That gives him an opportunity to show off the things that made Atlanta draft him eighth overall in 2024: His arm talent, accuracy and ability to attack the field vertically. It also gives Stefanski another chance to evaluate how Penix looks physically and mentally as he continues progressing through his recovery.
There is another reason this matters.
The 26-year-old has actually shown some encouraging signs during his limited work in training camp. All reports from Falcons' training camp suggest that he has been effective throwing the ball downfield, even while operating without 11-on-11 opportunities. But that's been against no pass-rish.
That's what makes next week's joint practices so important. Penix doesn't necessarily have one literal final audition. But he does have a shrinking window to seize control of a competition that was supposed to be decided between two quarterbacks on relatively equal footing.
Right now, that isn't happening. The Colts practices could finally give him a chance to change the story. And if Michael Penix Jr. wants to be Atlanta's starting quarterback in Week 1, he will need to make the most of it.
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