Michael Penix Jr. won't play in Falcons' preseason finale; Kevin Stefanski has no timeline on QB1 call
Kevin Stefanski isn't giving out hints prior to the start of the regular season and won't gift any starting jobs, either.
The quarterback battle remains unresolved for Stefanski's Falcons, who are inching closer toward a Week 1 decision between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. Stefanski told reporters Wednesday that Penix will sit out Atlanta's preseason finale and that he isn't sure when he'll name a starting QB, adding "I just know it's not today."
"Whenever they tell me I have to, when that depth chart has to be put out," Stefanski elaborated. "I'm honestly not trying to be coy. We'll focus on what's available to us, what information's available to us.
"Obviously, this has been something that we need to work through as people come back off of injury. Tua was injured to start camp, then Mike's been injured, not doing the 11-on-11s. Every day you're trying to make decisions based on who's available to you. The good news is [I'm] very, very happy with our guys and the progress they've all made."
There may be some clues hiding between the lines, both figuratively and literally. Tagovailoa hasn't done much to inspire confidence in his ability to handle the starting job for the Falcons, struggling in preseason action and leaving Atlanta with more questions than answers. Tagovailoa also won't receive the usual treatment of a Week 1 starter in the final week of the preseason, instead starting as part of a group that will also include Cooper Rush and Jack Strand.
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Meanwhile, Penix continues to work his way back from the knee injury that cost him eight games and most of the offseason preparation process, and while Atlanta has maintained an especially cautious approach with the quarterback, the reality of the situation seems to have increased the sense of urgency.
The third-year signal-caller told reporters Wednesday he'll be ready both physically and mentally to start Week 1 if called upon, while Stefanski adopted an optimistic approach when reviewing Penix's practice performance.
"I thought he did well," Stefanski said. "I don't want to put words in Mike's mouth, but I thought he looked good. He moved around well. … He's put a lot of work into this, and I think you see that in his getting away from center, making throws, etc., etc."
As expected, Stefanski declined to elaborate on his plans for Week 1 against the Steelers while noting he felt Penix cleared a few crucial benchmarks with his on-field performance, listing pocket movement and rush avoidance as two key areas of improvement as Penix returned to 11-on-11 action this week for the first time in 2026.
Penix seems to be encouraged by passing these tests, although he admitted playing in Friday's preseason game against Miami would have been a bit too soon for his liking.
"Yeah, I feel great right now. I got cleared to do 11-on-11 for practice, obviously," Penix said. "But each and every day, I'm getting better, getting more confident. I'm not playing this week because, obviously, I only had three practices under my belt doing 11-on-11 stuff. But I've been feeling really good, and as long as I keep the track that I'm on, I definitely feel like I'll be where I need to be mentally and physically to feel confident enough to go out there Week 1. As far as being healthy and all that, I feel good."
It's been an interesting summer for notable quarterbacks who are returning from season-ending injuries. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones arrived to camp brimming with confidence that he'd be available and ready to go for Week 1, while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has maintained a steady pace on his track to return in time for Week 1.
Penix has lingered as the outlier with the least clarity on when he'd be ready. It seems he might reach that status just in time for the start of the regular season, at which point Stefanski might not have any choice but to name the former first-rounder his starter.