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The Atlanta Falcons<\/a> will have some decisions to make before Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.<\/p>\n Falcons President of Football Matt Ryan believes that the quarterback competition between Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa will be extremely competitive. Along with these comments, Ryan provided an update on Michael Penix Jr.<\/p>\n Falcons President of Football Matt Ryan says QB Michael Penix Jr. \u201chas hit every checkpoint\u201d and has been using him as a resource during his recovery from ACL surgery \u201c[Penix] has hit every checkpoint along the way up until this point,\u201d Ryan said during an appearance on the Up and Adams Show<\/a>. \u201cHe has done everything the right way. His attention to detail during his rehab has been excellent. His mindset and his attitude have really good. He\u2019s really mature.\u201d<\/p>\n At this time, there is no definitive timeline for Penix\u2019s return.<\/p>\n Ryan Did Not Commit to Penix as QB1 in February<\/p>\n Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from surgery to repair a partially torn left ACL, which he suffered last November. Penix suffered his injury after taking a sack in the third quarter of a Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before Michael Penix Jr. went down, he completed 60.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,982 yards during the 2025 season. He had nine total touchdowns and 3 interceptions.<\/p>\n During General Manager Ian Cunningham\u2019s introductory press conference in February, Ryan was asked if Michael Penix Jr. will be the starter when he returns.<\/p>\n Ryan did not say yes or no.<\/p>\n \u201cNeither of us are the head coach of the football team, so we can\u2019t answer your question on that,\u201d\u00a0Ryan said.<\/a>\u00a0 \u201cI think as we start to get into this process and dive deeper into the roster \u2014 how it currently stands, where it\u2019s going in the future \u2014 I think those are conversations that\u2019ll be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuarterback\u2019s obviously very important, and we\u2019re excited about Mike and what he\u2019s doing with his rehab. I\u2019ve been up at the facility the last three weeks, and Michael\u2019s been in there attacking that and he\u2019s in a good space right now, so we\u2019re excited about where he is at. But certainly, a lot of discussions for us about the entire roster.\u201d<\/p>\n The Atlanta Falcons<\/a> signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year contract worth up to $1.3 million in March.<\/p>\n Tua Tagovailoa Ready to Compete for Starting Position<\/p>\n After having an unsuccessful season with the Miami Dolphins<\/a> in 2025, the team parted ways with Tua Tagovailoa on March 6, 2026. Tagovailoa finished the 2025 season with 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.<\/p>\n Now that Tagovailoa has landed in Atlanta, the quarterback competition is expected to be interesting. Tagovailoa is looking forward to competing.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s no competition, I don\u2019t think anyone\u2019s getting better, in aspect of the field of work you\u2019re in,\u201d\u00a0Tagovailoa said in an Atlanta Falcons article<\/a>. \u201cI am excited to be able to compete against [Penix], to compete with him, to be able to get to know my teammates on a personal level, knowing them from the outside in. We have a lot of good football players on this team, so I\u2019m excited to get to play with these guys and get the chance to throw the ball around, conversate with them. I think it\u2019s going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Ryan is a former Atlanta Falcons quarterback. It will be interesting how he helps Kevin Stefanski to see who gets the starting job in Atlanta.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDeonTay Smith<\/a> is a journalist who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens. A graduate from Methodist University, Smith also covers local news for the Panama City News Herald and hosts his own YouTube podcast. More about DeonTay Smith<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Falcons\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t
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