Not everyone is convinced that the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback competition is all but settled before training camp. Tua Tagovailoa looks bound to be the Week 1 starter after a strong start to the summer, but Michael Penix Jr. could have more of a dog in this fight than we are being led to believe.
The QB battle in Atlanta was believed to be as wide open as it gets once training camp, but Tagovailoa has started to pull away. But we can't get ahead of ourselves, as Kevin Stefanski is not going to take making this decision lightly and both signal-callers will get a shot once Penix is healthy.
Unless you're living under a rock, you'd know the 26-year-old is rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in November. He's ramped up far more than expected over the last few weeks. He's thrown since March and has taken part in 7-on-7s, which is an accomplishment despite not being cleared for full contact.
Tim Hasselbeck thinks Michael Penix Jr. will start once he's fully healthy
However, not everyone thinks this is Tua's battle to lose. Former NFL QB and ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck sees him as a placeholder until Penix is 100%. While appearing on ESPN's NFL Live last week, he made it clear he thinks the Falcons want to role with the third-year man in the long-term.
“I think long-term it's going to be Michael Penix Jr," Hasselbeck said. "I don't think the leadership in Atlanta is ready to turn the page on Penix. I think this is more about knowing that Penix is not gonna be full strength throughout the offseason, not really knowing his availability when the regular season starts, and making sure that you have someone that can play at a starter level on the roster."
Even a healthy Penix still has a fighting chance. He was drafted in the top 10 in the NFL Draft just twon years ago, and the Dirty Birds are banking on a new system to help him turn things around. A 12-start sample size isn't enough to evaluate whether he has what it takes to be their franchise quarterback.
The Falcons are very pleased with where the Washington product is at in his recovery, as he's even done more than he's expected. And that led Hasselbeck to double down on his belief in Penix, with him going as far as to reveal he thinks Tagovailoa is a placeholder until he's healthy and ready to start.
"I think Tua [Tagavailoa] is there to be a placeholder until [Michael] Penix Jr. is ready. … I actually don't really see this as a competition... I. believe he (Penix) is the starter when he is healthy, and I think that'll be the case until he plays his way into an otherwise situation."
Hasselbeck thinks the young lefty will have a long leash unless his performance shows otherwise, but admitted he thinks the Falcons signed Tua because they were unsure of his Week 1 timeline and wanted a starter-worthy QB on the roster to compete for the job and take over if he's not ready.
If he can stay healthy and turn a corner in this new system, Michael Penix Jr. is still very much in the Falcons' long-term plans, and for all of the Tua Tagovailoa buzz across the last few days, there's a reason this competition is being labeled wide open.
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