How the Atlanta Falcons are going to line up the quarterback position remains a bit of a mystery, with Jack Strand and Cooper Rush contending for a backup role while Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa fight for the starting job. It is a familiar theme for Falcons fans who have been undeniably frustrated with the inconsistency from a position that hasn't been stable since the 2021 departure of Matt Ryan.
With this in mind, let's jump ahead to the end of the preseason and project how things are going to play out. Starting with a young signal caller who has taken advantage of recent struggles gettingcleared for practice and is clearly gaining steamat the perfect moment.
1. Michael Penix Jr.
After much of the offseason and early portion of camp was spent with Tua Tagovailoa appearing to walk away with the job, things have changed. Penix has been able to prove himself healthy, and Tagovailoa appears to be falling out of favor with a group of decision-makers desperate to find stability at the quarterback position. If you're going to find a franchise option in the current group, it will be Penix.
The left-hander has simply been unable to stay healthy and receive the needed reps for Falcons fans to get a final answer. With the franchise not being relied on as a potential contender, there is no reason to have Tagovailoa in the lineup when you could be figuring out once and for all whether or not Penix has a future in Atlanta.
2. Tua Tagovailoa
Hopes that Tagovailoa could follow in the footsteps of Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield, breathing life back into a dead career, no longer feel viable. Tagovailoa is struggling in preseason and hasn't been great enough in camp to win a starting job with very little competition. The job appeared to be Tua's and the quarterback still couldn't lock it away, pointing to all of the reasons that things turned so quickly sour in Miami.
With that said, Penix is incredibly injury-prone, and Tagovailoa has starting experience, making a roster cut unlikely. If the former Dolphin isn't going to be handed the starting job, it still makes sense to have the fallback option.
3. Jack Strand
The undrafted rookie made it impossible to justify rostering Cooper Rush after his performance in the second preseason game. Strand made every needed throw and consistently moved the football with highlight plays that grabbed the full attention of Falcons fans. Whether or not it was an outlier or a sign of things to come can be debated.
What remains unquestioned is the need to have Strand be a part of the final roster and protect the signal caller from being stolen away. There is simply too much promise for the Falcons to give up on a player who gave hope that the Falcons might have found an offseason steal.
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