Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s lush World Cup grass is turning heads in Atlanta and renewing questions about why the Falcons still play on artificial turf.

The experience, Jeff Ulbrich says, “was fantastic” — and he’s optimistic he’ll eventually get the chance to bear its fruit during a hiring cycle.

The Atlanta Falcons, who have a quarterback competition between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, are being mindful of how they distribute reps during OTAs.

Zachariah Branch, a rookie wide receiver for the Falcons, has already made a positive impression on his coaches and teammates with his work ethic and eagerness to learn.

Among the four things we learned after the Falcons' second OTA session under new head coach Kevin Stefanski: Rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch is turning heads.

The contest begins in earnest this week as Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa vie for the Falcons' starting QB spot.

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., recovering from an ACL tear, has participated in individual and 7-on-7 periods of Atlanta's OTA practices.

Rees worked with Stefanski in Cleveland over the last two seasons, serving as offensive coordinator a year ago.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. tore his ACL just over six months ago, and is back to individual work.

A message from new Falcons beat writer Daniel Flick; a definitive ranking of ‘This is Falcons football’ schedule announcement videos; what to expect from OTAs; and more.