Here’s where the Falcons’ QB battle stands through 2 weeks of OTAs

FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons have a pressing question at the sport’s biggest position, but they have no shortage of minds to find the solution.

Yet, perhaps most importantly — and most impressively — their quarterbacks hear only one voice.

When Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Siemian and Jack Strand enter the Falcons’ quarterback meeting room, they hear first from quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, who runs through the schedule for the day or week, then discusses footwork, installation calls and other coaching points.

Jordan Reid, the team’s assistant quarterbacks coach, is also in the room. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is a frequent face, offering an overview of offensive plans and answering Van Pelt’s questions on responsibilities for the quarterbacks on certain plays.

Coach Kevin Stefanski comes in every other day, if not every day, Tagovailoa estimated. Passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand is also a fixture.

But finding alignment hasn’t been difficult. Stefanski worked with Rees and Van Pelt during his tenure with the Browns. They already speak the same language, so their players hear the same message.

“I think that one voice is nonnegotiable for us,” Stefanski said.

Tagovailoa acknowledged the room often has an abundance of coaches, but there’s “definitely one voice” coming from the conglomerate of minds.

“There’s no, ‘Hey, do this,’ and then we go out there and someone else is saying you’re supposed to do this,” Tagovailoa said.

The Falcons have a diverse group of quarterbacks in various walks of life.

The Dolphins released Tagovailoa after he started 76 games over the past six years. Penix tore his ACL in November after starting nine games. Both signal-callers are trying to prove they’re still capable of starting in the NFL despite heavy doses of adversity.

Siemian entered the NFL in 2015, but after earning 24 starts with the Broncos from 2016-17, he’s played in just 14 games since ’18. Strand, an undrafted rookie from Minnesota State Moorhead, falls on the opposite end of the experience spectrum.

There are so many voices, so many faces, comprising the Falcons’ quarterback room. Collectively, it’s a “fun group,” Stefanski said, and it’s become a competitively beneficial environment.

“There’s a lot of football and X’s and O’s that gets accomplished in there,” Stefanski said. “But not before you get to start talking about families and where people are. So I give a lot of credit to AVP (Van Pelt) for that room and the temperature, if you will, of that room, making sure everybody in there is pushing each other.

“I think there’s a way to be a great teammate and to push each other and also do it in a way that is best for the football team. And I think that’s what I witness in that room.”

Here’s a look at how the Falcons’ quarterback battle is shaping up through two weeks of OTAs, which have included six total practices and two open-to-media sessions in Flowery Branch.

QB Synopsis: A player-by-player breakdown

Tua Tagovailoa

What he’s done: Tagovailoa has delivered more splash plays than any of the other quarterbacks thus far. He’s proved willing to push the ball downfield and has, as Stefanski said, an “innate, God-given ability” with his accuracy. The 28-year-old threaded a tight window in the back of the end zone on a touchdown pass to receiver Drake London on Wednesday, and he also moved the chains with pinpoint throws rolling to his right. Tagovailoa has been far from perfect, though, and he’s thrown an interception in both of the team’s open practices.

What Stefanski said: “Working very hard. Veteran. Fits in really well with our guys. Skill set is what you see from his Miami days to now. Very accurate. But fits in really well.”

What teammates said: “He’s a great dude,” London said. “Always got a smile on his face. Very, very chill. Throw up the shaka (Hawaiian hand sign) a little bit, and we get rolling. He’s a great dude, and him and MP (Penix) are getting along very, very well. Both of them are just competing and working really hard together, and I love it.”

Michael Penix Jr.

What he’s done: Penix still hasn’t been cleared for 11-on-11 team periods, so his work has been limited to 7-on-7. He threw an interception on his first pass of offense vs. defense on the second day of OTAs but has been clean since. Penix’s arm talent pops, and he’s thrown several quality intermediate passes over the middle. Stefanski said he’s been “very impressed with everything (Penix is) doing on the field and in the meeting room,” and Penix’s teammates have been impressed by how fast he’s returned to action after his knee injury.

What Stefanski said: “He’s doing great. He’s doing outstanding. He continues to stack days. But I don’t think it would be fair to put a percentage on it. He’s not 100%, but he’s exactly where he needs to be, and I’m very impressed with how he’s working.”

What teammates said: “Mike’s one of my closest friends,” tight end Kyle Pitts said. “Just to see him go through his rehab and how he attacked it, and how everybody thought he wasn’t going to be ready — look at what he’s doing. So, it was great to see. I love to be beside him competing, and I’m eager to see how this thing goes.”

Trevor Siemian

What he’s done: Siemian didn’t practice in the second open OTA session, but he was the only quarterback who didn’t throw an interception in the first practice. He hasn’t played in, let alone started, a game since 2023, but the 34-year-old Siemian has significant experience in the league and has offered a veteran presence to the team’s quarterback room.

What Stefanski said: “It’s fun with having Trevor in there now. Trevor and I were together in 2018 back at the Vikings. But I had Trevor go through his career chronologically the other day and name all the teams. And it was hard for him, but he did it. He also has played on two teams twice for different staffs, Tennessee and the Jets. So he has a wealth of knowledge.”

What teammates said: “I think the world of Trevor,” Tagovailoa said.

Jack Strand

What he’s done: Strand wears jersey No. 18, but it’s easy to avoid comparisons to Kirk Cousins. The Division II product is the biggest quarterback on the roster, measuring 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. He has 2 inches and 15 pounds on his closest challengers. Strand threw an interception to Darnay Holmes in the first practice and barely overthrew Dylan Drummond on a near-50-yard deep ball in the second, but he’s connected on several underneath passes. Strand’s size and arm strength is impressive, and if nothing else, he’ll be an interesting watch this preseason.

What Stefanski said: “Jack was a guy that we did a lot of work on, watched a lot of tape on him, spent time with him as part of the process, brought him in for a visit. Very intelligent young man. Great size for the position. But it’s a transition, like it is for any player. I don’t care what division you’re coming from; it’s a transition. He’s got the right attitude. Excited to work with him.”

Where the race stands

Really, there are two separate battles happening here: to start at QB1 and to make the roster as QB3.

Make no mistake: The Falcons’ starting quarterback job is wide open. The battle won’t be won during OTAs or mandatory minicamp. Stefanski named Joe Flacco his Week 1 starter Aug. 18 last season, and a similar timeline — mid-August, somewhere in the heart of training camp and the preseason — seems likely.

Penix’s absence in 11-on-11 team periods in this phase of the summer won’t inherently hurt his odds of being the team’s starting quarterback, but it certainly doesn’t help. He’s been fine, albeit unspectacular, in 7-on-7s.

Availability aside, Tagovailoa’s biggest advantage is accuracy. In 2024, he led the NFL in completion rate at 72.9%, and across 2,421 career attempts, he’s completed 68% of his passes. Penix, meanwhile, connected on 60.1% of his throws last season and, in 381 attempts as a pro, holds a 59.6% completion rate.

Accuracy is “the most important trait at the position,” Stefanski said, and Tagovailoa is the Falcons’ most accurate passer.

But he’s also been the most turnover prone through two open sessions. He’s tossed two interceptions and nearly threw another to linebacker Divine Deablo in the second practice. Penix has been more turnover averse, and he’s thoroughly respected by his teammates and coaches, but he’s been less effective overall.

There have been pros and cons with both passers and no clear front-runner. Tagovailoa may have a slight edge, but Penix still hasn’t taken a snap in 11-on-11s. This is truly wide open.

Stefanski only carried two quarterbacks into the season in his first four years with the Browns, but he entered the last two campaigns with three signal-callers on his roster. Given the injury history surrounding Tagovailoa and Penix, it’s reasonable to think the Falcons will have three passers on their roster leaving the preseason.

Siemian and Strand represent two different core values. If the Falcons want a battle-tested, experienced third quarterback, Siemian fits the bill. If they prefer a young, developmental option, Strand is a viable option, though he may be more of a practice squad candidate.

The Falcons’ flavor of choice will depend, in large part, on preseason and training camp performance.