Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been unavailable in 11-on-11 drills after his season was cut short by a partially torn ACL sustained in a Week 11 clash against the Carolina Panthers. After taking over from Kirk Cousins, Penix had a rough campaign under center for the Falcons in his first full season as a starter.
Further complicating Penix’s return from injury, the Falcons signed veteran quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a one-year contract after he was released by the Miami Dolphins in March after six seasons with the franchise.
Mitch Morse Believes Michael Penix Jr. Should Start for the Falcons
During an appearance on “Good Morning Football” on Friday, former Buffalo Bills center and Pro Bowler Mitch Morse urged the Falcons to stick with Penix as their starting quarterback over the more experienced Tagovailoa next season.
“I don’t know if it’s fair to have that answer right now with Michael Penix Jr. not being able to participate in 11 on 11 drills,” Morse said. “They’re still building their identities, and when the balls are flying in training camp… the game is faster, it’s amplified, you do more installs, you get more rapport with your teammates.”
“I still think that this is Michael Penix Jr.’s team,” Morse added. “He had the ebbs and flows of a rookie season, but that last game before he got hurt against the Carolina Panthers, he [had] 175 passing yards, 81.3 completion percentage, before he got injured in the third quarter, and he also had a huge outing against the Washington Commanders the week before.”
Which @AtlantaFalcons QB are you taking in 2026?@M_Morse_IGC | #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/sj8Obo5YSW
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“You bring in Tua Tagovailoa, do I wanna see the rising from the ashes for Tua Tagovailoa? More than anything in the world,” Morse added. “But don’t take the reins from a kid who’s still trying to figure this thing out and who’s got all the talent in the world.”
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Penix has now suffered three ACL tears in his college football and NFL career, necessitating the signing of Tagovailoa, who had a rough season in Miami last year.
In 14 games, Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards on 67.7% completion, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions for the Dolphins in error-strewn performances last season, earning a PFSN QB Impact score of 72.0.
Before his season-ending injury, Penix tallied 1,982 passing yards on 60.1% completion, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions, while adding 70 rushing yards and one score to earn a PFSN QB Impact score of 69.9, good for No. 31 in the league.
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Since Penix has a woeful 4-8 record as a starter in the league, and Tagovailoa holds the edge in terms of experience with a 44-32 record under center in the NFL, the Falcons’ QB1 battle is one of the most intriguing in the league.
The former Dolphins star has taken most of the reps with the first team during the Falcons’ minicamp, giving him a jump on the QB1 battle with Penix ahead of training camp next month.
