Updated July 31, 2026, 6:34 p.m. ET

The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their third day of training camp on Friday afternoon, but it was their first practice held in front of the fans at IBM Performance Field. Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. remain limited but both players participated in drills.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski held a press conference after practice and discussed a number of issues, from the preseason to the quarterback situation.

In today’s Falcons Wire Recap, Stefanski reveals his preseason plan, Kyle Pitts praises rookie quarterback Jack Strand, Bleacher Report examines Atlanta’s playoff chances and we look at highlights from Friday’s training camp practice.

Will Falcons play starters in NFL preseason?

After two years of sitting starters in the preseason under former head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons are taking the training wheels off. Stefanski’s plan is to play Atlanta’s starters in the first and third preseason games, per team reporter Tori McElhaney.

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“[Stefanski] said right now the plan is to get starters playing in the first and third games,” explained McElhaney. “How many live reps will vary. Will hold guys back in the second game because starters are going to get the most run in the joint practices with the Colts.”

Kyle Pitts praises rookie QB Jack Strand

Falcons tight end Kyle has seen his share of quarterbacks during his tenure in Atlanta. The former top-five pick likes what he has seen from the former MSU-Moorhead QB thus far, praising the undrafted rookie following Friday’s practice.

“Really impressive to be thrown into the fire like that,” Pitts said of Strand. “He’s embracing it. It’s pretty cool to see how he’s growing each day. Each day he’s getting better.”

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he was also impressed with Strand’s play early in camp. “Jack is doing a nice job. As a quarterback, you’re prepared to be the starter. That’s just how you do it.”

ESPN praises former Falcons OT Ryan Schraeder

ESPN’s Marc Raimondi gave some props to former Falcons right tackle Ryan Schraeder. The former undrafted offensive lineman out of Valdosta State was ranked as the team’s best preseason riser of all time.

“The Falcons signed Schraeder as an undrafted free agent in 2013 out of Division II Valdosta State,” wrote Raimondi. “Expectations were not sky high, but he used a very good training camp to make the team and briefly crack the starting lineup as a rookie. By Schraeder’s sophomore season, he was the full-time starter at right tackle. A year after that, he was a first-team All-Pro selection. Schraeder ended up starting 73 games for the Falcons in six seasons and was the team’s starting right tackle in Super Bowl LI.”

Rookie Zachariah Branch impresses at practice

Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch has been cooking early on at training camp. While the team has question marks at quarterback, Branch will likely be wide open for whoever lands the QB1 job entering Week 1. Watch Branch’s route compilation, as shared by the Falcons’ social media account below.

Bleacher Report on Falcons’ playoff chances

According to Brad Gagnon at Bleacher Report, Atlanta is in the “need everything to go right'” tier to make the playoffs, the second from the bottom – and No. 25 overall.

“Not a great start to camp from a health perspective with both Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. out. Still, the talent those quarterbacks possess combined with Bijan Robinson’s game-breaking abilities keeps them in the picture with a new coaching staff in a soft division.”

Highlights from first week of Falcons’ training camp

Check out the Falcons’ official highlight compilation from the first week of training camp below, as shared by the team’s YouTube channel.

Falcons training camp: Social media roundup

Cash Jones, Jack Strand, Zachariah Branch and others made plays on Friday. Have a look at the top highlights we were able to round up on social media below.

Falcons 2026 training camp schedule: Open practice datesJuly 31 | IBM Performance Field | 1:55 p.m. ETAug. 1 | IBM Performance Field | 9:15 a.m. ETAug. 3 | IBM Performance Field | 9:15 a.m. ETAug. 4 | IBM Performance Field | 1:55 p.m. ETAug. 5 | IBM Performance Field | 9:15 a.m. ETAug. 7 | IBM Performance Field | 9:15 a.m. ETAug. 8 | Location TBD | 7:00 p.m. ETAug. 10 | IBM Performance Field | 1:55 p.m. ETAug. 11 | IBM Performance Field | 9:15 a.m. ETAug. 12 | IBM Performance Field | 1:55 p.m. ETAug. 19 | Joint practices with Colts | 3:00 p.m. ET (in Indianapolis)Aug. 20 | Joint practices with Colts | 3:00 p.m. ET (in Indianapolis)

The Falcons will be back for another day of camp on Saturday, which will be their second practice that is open to the fans.