FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Training camp is set to begin later this month for the Atlanta Falcons. To prepare for the first camp under head coach Kevin Stefanski, we're running our season preview series, which will take a closer look at each position group coming out of the offseason.
This series will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between now and July 22, which is one week before the Falcons' first training camp practice on July 29. Tori McElhaney will be helping me write these previews, which will include any offseason personnel changes, notable stats from the 2025 season and key questions entering training camp.
CAMP PREVIEWS: Special teams | Offensive line | Defensive line | Running backs | Outside linebackers | Tight ends | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks
Quarterback is the position on many fans' minds heading into training camp, and for good reason. Tua Tagovailoa joined the roster on a one-year deal this offseason as Michael Penix Jr. continues to work back from last season's knee injury, but the two are expected to compete for the starting job once Penix gets the all-clear from the medical team to participate in every aspect of practice.
Here's the latest on Atlanta's quarterback situation.
QUARTERBACKS
Coaches:
- Alex Van Pelt — Quarterbacks coach (First season with Falcons)
- Justin Reid — Assistant quarterbacks coach (First season with Falcons)
Returning contributors:
- Michael Penix Jr. — Third season with Falcons
Notable newcomers:
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Trevor Siemian
Rest of the roster:
- Jack Strand
Offseason departures:
- Kirk Cousins
- Easton Stick
3 key questions for Falcons quarterbacks
1. When will Penix get full medical clearance?
For all of the talk about Atlanta's quarterback competition this offseason, that simply won't take place until Penix can participate to the same degree as Tagovailoa. During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Penix did 7-on-7 and individual drills, but he was held out of 11-on-11 sessions and has not yet been cleared for contact. During OTAs, the coaching staff explained why the variance in participation makes it hard to fairly evaluate both players.
"As you're prepping for the last few weeks of the preseason and training camp, I think you want to have a good idea [of who the starting quarterback is]," quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said. "But that will come when it is time to come, really. It's tough having a competition when both guys aren't competing at the same level (physically). ... Mike has done a great job of getting himself to where he is right now. Really impressive to take 7-on-7 reps and go out and compete; that's been great. But really there is no competition until we can actually evaluate them equally."
Penix underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL last season after starting the first nine games. It was the first time the former eighth-overall pick entered an NFL season as a starting quarterback, and Penix showed plenty of flashes while navigating the learning curve as a starter. The team went 3-6 in the games Penix started, and he threw for 1,982 yards with nine touchdowns and only three interceptions. Penix has been pushing himself hard this offseason to recover fully and strengthen his knee. His mobility on the field during OTAs and minicamp drew positive reviews, and Penix is optimistic about getting the green light sooner rather than later.
"Just the way that I feel during drills from Day 1 to how I feel now doing every drill, I feel those differences," Penix said. "I would say that it's not just one specific thing. It's everything that I'm doing. Each and every day I come out here, I feel better than the day before. I feel like that's a good thing."
Penix is making progress, but any true quarterback competition is on hold until he gets the all-clear.
2. How will Tagovailoa look in a new environment?
A change of scenery can sometimes work wonders in the NFL, and the Falcons are hoping that will be the case with Tagovailoa. The former fifth-overall pick spent his first six seasons with the Miami Dolphins and played at a very high level for stretches during his time there. He led all NFL quarterbacks in passer rating, yards per completion and touchdown rate during the 2022 season, and he followed that up by leading the league with 4,624 passing yards in 2023.
The past two seasons, however, Tagovailoa has thrown for a combined 5,527 yards as injuries have cost him time on the field. Now with the opportunity for a fresh start, what version of Tagovailoa should the Falcons expect? Is it the one who helped Miami finish second in points scored and first in total yards during the 2023 season or the one who struggled to find consistency the last couple of seasons? Now in Atlanta, a new perspective could help him recapture his past performance.
"I think a fresh start sometimes is not just beneficial for me, but for anyone," Tagovailoa said. "Your outlook on life is dependent on your thoughts, dependent on things that you think of, which go to your heart, which then you end up speaking about. I just think a fresh start is not bad in terms of wanting a change of scenery."
After seeing a lot of action in full-team periods during minicamp and OTAs, Tagovailoa has begun to develop chemistry with his new receivers. That connection and Tagovailoa's command of Atlanta's offensive playbook will be crucial to make a good impression in training camp.
3. Do the Falcons keep three quarterbacks on the roster?
I debated whether or not to focus on preseason playing time with this last topic, as we've yet to learn what Stefanski's approach to that will be. Whether or not we see Tagovailoa or Penix in the preseason remains to be determined, but fans should absolutely expect at this point to see backups Trevor Siemian and Jack Strand.
Siemian was a seventh-round draft pick in 2015 and has spent more than a decade in the league because of the value he adds to quarterback rooms. He was held out of some practices during offseason workouts, but Stefanski said on the final day of minicamp that he expected the 34-year-old to be ready to go for the start of training camp. With 40 games, including 33 as a starter, of experience under his belt, Siemian should provide a steady presence as a third-string backup if needed. Strand, an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State-Moorehead, has some intriguing upside and brings a lot of physicality at the quarterback position. He's 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds and strikes an imposing figure on the practice field. Strand has some raw tools, including above-average arm strength, that could make him a good developmental player. A good training camp could speed up the timeline for Strand, though, if the Falcons opt to keep him on the roster as the third quarterback.
That is, of course, assuming they decide to keep three. Roster construction varies around the league and there is no universal doctrine for the right way to go about it. With two former top-10 picks on the roster in Tagovailoa and Penix, the Falcons may decide those are the only players needed. The other wrinkle to all of this is the emergency third quarterback rule, which would allow Atlanta to dress a practice squad quarterback on game day without it counting towards the roster limit.
Join the Atlanta Falcons on the practice fields and in the weight room as they tackle an offseason workout at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Ga.
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Zach Harrison #96 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III #22 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Natrone Brooks #35 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. #24 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Darnay Holmes #30 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Jammie Robinson #34 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts #31 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. #24 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes #21 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III #3 during OTA Phase 1 workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews #70 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil #64 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington #82 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson Jr. #15 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus #14 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Jahan Dotson #4 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Kyle Hinton #68 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Andrew Stueber #74 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Jalon Walker #11 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus #14 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Maason Smith #92 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III #3 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand #90 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington #82 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair #19 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Deven Thompkins #83 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Deven Thompkins #83 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson Jr. #15 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson #25 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Jahan Dotson #4 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus #14 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus #14 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Elijah Garcia #91 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman LaCale London #94 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts #31 and Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III #3 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Divine Deablo #0 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Christian Harris #45 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III #3 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts #31 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive back Sydney Brown #29 and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III #22 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Channing Tindall #55 during offseason workouts at Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Atlanta Falcons)
