FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Tua Tagovailoa put together one of his best days of Atlanta Falcons AT&T Training Camp on Tuesday, which is a good sign for the veteran quarterback ahead of the team's first preseason game on Friday night against the Denver Broncos.
"He's getting better every day," Falcons quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said after practice. "I think he's becoming more comfortable with the system and the play calls and protection adjustments and everything. It's always tough coming into a new system. So, [he's] picking that up. Missing the first part of camp set him back just a little bit, but really the last three or four days he's really come on."
Tagovailoa was particularly sharp on a hot Tuesday morning, an observation backed up by those closely tracking the outcome of his throws. The degree of difficulty on the passes he completed was notable as well. During the first 11-on-11 period of the day, Tagovailoa connected with wide receiver Chris Blair on a couple of intermediate throws, including a really nice deep in-breaking route that looked to be about 15 yards downfield. A few plays later, he had a similar throw to Jahan Dotson, who found a soft spot in the zone coverage for an easy first down.
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While his throwing looked sharp, Tagovailoa also displayed a good feel for the pocket and navigated some cluttered spaces quite well. At this time of year, the command a quarterback has of the offense and the job of each of his 10 teammates is as important as how the ball looks leaving his hand.
"I don't think it's necessarily how good one person or one individual is doing; that's not how I look at it," Tagovailoa said. "It's a culmination of that aspect within the team. How the team is doing. What the run fit is looking like, defensively. What the run fit feels like for us, offensively. And then, in the pass game, is everyone where they need to be when they need to be there within the timing of the play. And then you want to look at protections as well.
"... It's my job to get guys the ball. It's my job to be able to handle the motions, be able to handle the checks at the line and put us in really good situations offensively."
Walkthroughs have helped Tagovailoa gain comfort within a new offense. By studying the playbook, reviewing practice tape and physically repping the motions of a play in walkthroughs, Tagovailoa is picking up the terminology and then seeing how those calls come to life "within the structure of the defense."
Tuesday's practice was a positive indicator that Tagovailoa's approach so far is working. He drove the ball well, spread it around to multiple different receivers and exercised good decision-making. That last skill was particularly on display during the short-yardage and red zone periods. In a 7-on-7 drill near the goal line, Tagovailoa completed two of his three pass attempts, including a touchdown to rookie Vinny Anthony II that beat a fast-closing Clark Phillips III, who had broken up a pass intended for Kyle Pitts earlier in the drill.
"Red zone is its own animal down there," Van Pelt said. "The coverage is so much tighter. Generally you'll have points on the board, so you have to be safe with the ball. The timing happens a lot faster. Open in the red zone is different than open out in the field. It's a lot of tight-window throws. Being precise with your footwork and timing in the pass game down there, then making great decisions and not turning the ball over. In the red zone, those are critical aspects."
Third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a majority of the 7-on-7 reps Tuesday, and that's been part of the plan as he has yet to be cleared to participate in 11-on-11 work. He had a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus during the skeleton passing drill and had a few other well-placed balls that were broken up by the defense. On Monday, which was a heavier 7-on-7 practice, Penix looked sharp.
Friday's preseason game is another notable moment for the Falcons' offense ahead of the season. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said a plan for playing time could be shared as early as Wednesday, but he did confirm that Penix would not suit up for the game while he's still not cleared for 11-on-11 periods in practice. That would leave the work to be divided between Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush and rookie Jack Strand.
Notes and observations from practice
Roll call: There were a good number of players not suited up for Tuesday's practice, which raises the possibility that many of the absences were due to planned off days and not injuries. More clarity on specific plays should come Wednesday when Stefanski is next scheduled to address the media. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who was activated off the PUP list Monday, was not a participant in practice after getting in some limited work the day prior. The team has an acclimation plan in place for the veteran tackle, which means he'll be worked back into the mix gradually. Rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell did not practice Tuesday after he left practice briefly on Monday following individual drills. He returned later in that practice but did not participate in the full-team periods. Cornerback Natrone Brooks also did not practice.
A few defensive linemen did not practice on Tuesday: Bralen Trice, LaCale London and Da'Shawn Hand. Behind them, linebacker Divine Deablo missed his second straight practice. Stefanski said Deablo got "rolled up for a second" during Saturday's practice at Lanier High School but that he should be back "sooner than later." Safety Jessie Bates III also missed another practice but is "getting better," according to Stefanski.
The right tackle rotation: Without Taylor on the field Tuesday, clarity on the team's right tackle situation is still on hold for the moment. One clear development over the last few practices, though, is an increase in first-team reps for rookie Ethan Onianwa. He first began working with the starting unit on Saturday and has held that spot since. The 6-foot-7, 331-pound rookie has impressive size at the position and has used it well in 1-on-1 battles and live periods.
It's been a fast-and-furious learning period for Onianwa, who had an amusing way of explaining the feeling on Monday.
"The biggest thing was just watching how they're professionals," Onianwa said of watching his veteran teammates. "Always on top of their routines, pre-practice, post-practice, before they go to bed. I've loved talking to them about football, hearing their experiences, and it's really opened my eyes to the game. It's like I'm seeing all this new stuff, like 'Star Wars' out there. They've been great resources that have really helped slow the game down for me."
Onianwa was immediately asked to clarify how his first training camp made him think of Star Wars.
"Like when Luke Skywalker was flying, that's how it felt. Everything's happening around you, and you're trying to figure out what to do."
Before Onianwa got his turn with the starters, third-year pro Michael Jerrell had been the first-team right tackle for the majority of the offseason and first couple of weeks of camp. Jerrell has now been working with the second-team unit. For the first time on Tuesday, however, Jerrell saw time at left tackle with the second-team offense. He swapped places with Wanya Morris, who had been running in that spot during camp. This is part of the cross-training Stefanski has emphasized with the team, and an indicator that Atlanta continues to search for the best combination.
Tyler Goodson is fast: One of the most explosive players on the field so far in camp has been running back Tyler Goodson. The Georgia native has ripped off multiple long runs, and he did so again Tuesday on a play that highlighted his speed. It was a carry off the left side, blocked beautifully by tight end Charlie Woerner and wide receiver Dylan Drummond. Goodson has the lateral agility and home-run speed to be a good complementary back to Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. He figured to get a lot of work in the preseason alongside Nathan Carter and Cash Jones.
Chris Blair and Dylan Drummond showing value: Two players who have quietly been developing the last few seasons for Atlanta are Blair and Drummond. Blair has been with the Falcons since 2023, spending time on both the practice squad and active roster. He's a physical receiver who has mostly been working in bigger packages or behind Drake London with the second-team offense. Drummond is a smooth route runner who began on Atlanta's practice squad in 2024 before seeing action in nine games last season. Despite working with a new staff, Blair and Drummond have continued to make a positive name for themselves.
"Those guys have become very valuable," Stefanski said. "They're diligent and trustworthy, so the coaches and players understand that they can play multiple roles. Again, this is at the point in camp where we're finding roles for guys to do. I think both those guys have shown up."
Heavy personnel looks: Atlanta got creative with some big-bodied sets during what appeared to be a live period near the end of practice. They started the session by lining up both tackles Ethan Onianwa and Michael Jerrell next to one another on the right side of the line in a jumbo look. They also had moments where all tight ends and wide receivers were bunched together to create what looked like a single, unbroken line. Formational creativity within various personnel groupings is a creative sandbox for today's offenses, and the Falcons are trying some things out in that area.
Brian Robinson Jr. looks good in live work: The standout player during the live 11-on-11 period that began with Onianwa and Jerrell next to one another was Brian Robinson Jr. The running back showed a combination of physicality, vision and burst to help march Atlanta's offense down the field against the defense. He then finished the job with a leg-churning run up the middle that overpowered a staunch wall of Falcons defenders. Robinson hasn't gotten much attention in camp, but he's been rock-steady for the last few weeks and should have an important role for the offense this season.
Rookie linebackers still running with starters: This was the primary topic of Monday's camp report, so it will just get a brief mention here, but rookie linebackers Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. again worked with the starters while veteran Divine Deablo is sidelined. At the start of camp, Deablo and Christian Harris were the consistent first-team inside linebackers. Then, during the second week of camp, Daniels and Perkins began to rotate in alongside Deablo with the starters. Since Deablo has been out, however, the two rookies have been the first pair out at inside linebacker.
A look at the kick return rotation: Preseason games could go a long way towards determining kick return roles for the Falcons this season, but here are the guys who lined up back there on Tuesday and figure to see work when the exhibition games begin (in alphabetical order).
- WR Vinny Anthony II
- WR Zachariah Branch
- WR Dylan Drummond
- RB Tyler Goodson
- RB Cash Jones
- WR Keelan Marion
- RB Brian Robinson Jr.
- WR Antwane Wells Jr.
- WR Olamide Zaccheaus
Relive the action through the best photos from the Atlanta Falcons' Saturday Night Lights as fans showed up for a sunset practice filled with football and fun at the 2026 AT&T Training Camp.
