‘Competition is the best’: Falcons QBs Penix, Tagovailoa set to battle for job

Note: This is the first in a nine-part series previewing the Falcons’ position groups leading into training camp.

FLOWERY BRANCH — Accuracy, new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski says, is the trait he prioritizes most in quarterbacks. But there’s a more fundamental principle within that belief, and Falcons quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt wasted little time decorating his meeting room to reflect it.

“Trust your feet,” hangs on a big sign in the Falcons’ quarterback room, greeting Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., Trevor Siemian and Jack Strand each time they enter.

On the practice field, Penix said there are often reminders of, ‘Hey, you’ve got to quicken up your feet,’ or, ‘Take your time a little bit on this drop. You have to work through your progression.’

It’s all part of the biggest emphasis from the Falcons’ largely new offensive coaching staff, spearheaded by Stefanski, Van Pelt and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Footwork, much more now than with the previous staff, is a focal point in each meeting and at every practice.

“If your feet are right, then you’re going to make good decisions,” Van Pelt said during OTAs. “And when you get in trouble, it’s when you don’t trust your feet, you hang too long and you’re off, and then you throw bad balls or interceptions.

“So, footwork’s a huge part of us. It’s ingrained in our room and that’s how we teach it.”

Van Pelt said accuracy is a “critical” trait for quarterbacks, but delivering pinpoint passes starts with the feet.

“The biggest thing that comes with accuracy is the rhythm and the tempo of your footwork and your drops and making sure everything’s in alignment with whatever that route is you’re throwing,” Van Pelt said. “These guys have really done a good job in the spring working their footwork and making sure it matches up with exactly what route they’re getting and throwing with accuracy.”

There are new coaches, new coaching points and new quarterbacks — but, once more in Flowery Branch, the same pursuit to find a franchise signal-caller. Is the Falcons’ long-term answer on the roster? That may be the biggest question ahead, but with training camp on the horizon, several others persist, too.

Here’s a look at the Falcons’ quarterback room before players arrive for camp July 28.

Depth chart

Starter: Tua Tagovailoa OR Michael Penix Jr.

Backups: Tagovailoa/Penix, Trevor Siemian, Jack Strand

Notable departures

• Kirk Cousins (released, signed with Las Vegas Raiders in free agency)
• Easton Stick (free agent, signed with Indianapolis Colts)

Biggest questions

1. Forgive the obvious: Who wins the job?

The Falcons don’t have a solidified starter entering training camp, and Van Pelt said there wasn’t much of a competition during OTAs and minicamp because of Penix’s health.

The 26-year-old signal-caller is still rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered last November, and while he participated in individual drills and 7-on-7 periods, he sat out of 11-on-11 sessions as a precaution.

Not that the Falcons planned on naming a starter before training camp anyway.

“We’re not giving out any jobs in June, so we’ll continue with every player at every position to bring the guys along at the pace that they’re able to,” Stefanski said during minicamp. “With any competition, quote-unquote, those things work themselves out down the line.”

Penix and Tagovailoa both view the starting position as up for grabs. Van Pelt said the team would like to have a good idea of its starter “as you’re prepping for the last few weeks of training camp and into the preseason,” and the Falcons expect the winner to separate himself to the point where it jumps out.

Tagovailoa looked more impressive across five open-to-media practices during OTAs and minicamp, but there’s more work to do before the Falcons finalize their decision.

“Competition is the best at every position, really,” Van Pelt said. “It brings out the best of the players, the ones competing, obviously. And I think it’s good and it’s healthy, and I think every room should have it, and that includes the quarterback room.”

2. Is Michael Penix Jr. healthy?

The Falcons open training camp eight months removed from Penix’s surgery to repair his left ACL. He moved well during OTAs and minicamp and has been a full participant with at least one of his personal offseason throwing programs, but he must be cleared by a doctor to participate in 11-on-11 periods at training camp.

Penix, Stefanski and Van Pelt each conceded earlier in the summer that the 2024 first-round pick wasn’t 100% healthy. Penix’s ultimate plan has long been to be ready for Week 1, which is set for Sept. 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There are 46 days between July 29, the start of training camp, and Sept. 13. And Penix, who had a reps deficit in OTAs and minicamp because of his inactivity in 11-on-11 sessions, doesn’t have much time to waste.

Penix said during minicamp he expects to be cleared for full participation by the start of training camp. If he is, the competition can officially commence. If he’s not, Tagovailoa will take a clear leg up entering August.

3. Do Falcons carry two or three quarterbacks on the final roster?

A brief moment away from Penix and Tagovailoa, if you don’t mind, for another quarterback battle: The QB3 spot between Siemian and Strand.

In the first two years of Stefanski’s six-season run with the Cleveland Browns, he entered Week 1 with only two quarterbacks on his depth chart. Over the final four years, he carried three signal-callers all but once. It’s reasonable — with injury history rampant between Tagovailoa and Penix — to believe Stefanski will opt for three quarterbacks this fall.

So, who do the Falcons choose? Siemian and Strand offer contrasting styles.

Siemian, 34, stands 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and has started 33 of 40 NFL appearances. He’s been in the league for over a decade and has known Stefanski since 2018, when they were on the Minnesota Vikings.

Strand is a 22-year-old undrafted rookie from Minnesota State-Moorhead who carries a hard-to-ignore frame at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, and boasts a strong right arm.

The Falcons’ decision may ultimately hinge on whether they want the smart, savvy veteran in Siemian or the encouraging long-term prospect in Strand, who would make a fine practice-squad addition if he misses the 53-man roster.