Less than a week ago, the Atlanta Falcons were in a dire position at quarterback, but that ambulance needs to be called for someone else now. Cooper Rush is no longer the starter as both Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa were active for the first time all season in the Week 3 victory over the Packerst.
Penix started and Tagovailoa backed him up, which ended in a dominant victory on Thursday Night Football. The Falcons won 35-14 at Lambeau Field where the most noticeable difference from their opening two losses was the quarterback play, as QB1 proved exactly why Kevin Stefanski gave him that title.
In his first start of the season, Penix looked stellar. He completed 18 of 25 pass attempts for 256 yards, a touchdown, and an interception--and this was a game where Bijan Robinson and the run game did most of the heavy lifting. It was a promising start to 2026, especially since the guy is coming off of an ACL tear.
Here's the thing though: had the former top-10 pick struggled, it would've been easier for the Falcons to consider benching him for Tua down the line. But right now, his possible career turnaround feels like more of a pipe dream amid his competition's successful start to the year.
The Atlanta Falcons currently have no incentive to bench Michael Penix Jr.
The worst thing that could've happened for Tua Tagovailoa was returning the same week as Michael Penix Jr., because his strong debut now has him fading into the background. Right now, it seems like the only way he'll get to see the field is if god forbid some sort of injury disaster strikes him again.
Right now, it doesn't seem like there's a world where the Falcons would willingly bench Penix for Tagovailoa-. His return ignited the offense. They went for over 500 yards of offense, and Drake London had a career day with the younger option--and the vibe with him in the lineup felt different.
This was also against a Packers' pass-rush that easily could've done damage all night. Even without Micah Parsons, Jonathan Gannon had some tools at his disposal. The southpaw made some really nice throws--mostly to London--all night long, and he looked to be getting more comfortable in this offense as the game progressed.
There's a reason every report about the Dirty Birds indicated that the 26-year-old was Stefanski's preferred starter. For a franchise looking for a long-term answer under center, they have every incentive to roll with the guy who isn't halfway through his rookie deal compared to the guy signed for the veteran minimum in free agency.
Tua has the Pro Bowl pedigree and the history of success, but that won't help him right now. He would've had the starting job until Penix returned had he not gotten hurt, but the latter was always going to start as soon as he was healthy--and now that this is the case, he's making his leash longer to the point where it would be a surprise to see him let go of this opportunity.
Michael Penix Jr. showed glimpses of being a long-term franchise quarterback on Thursday, and while the play always was to see things through with him as the starter, a big performance will make it harder to turn to Tua Tagovailoa in the future--especially if he's able to keep up this level of play.
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