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Head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback situation will be the talk of Atlanta football until head coach Kevin Stefanski announces the starter before Week 1.

During his tenure with the Cleveland Browns, Kevin Stefanski has had bad luck with quarterbacks. One could argue that when Stefanski does not have a true starting quarterback, he can be frustrating to watch as a coach.

Everyone knows what happened last year with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. A struggling Dillon Gabriel could not find his stride while Shedeur Sanders stepped in his place and showed a little bit of promise but wasn’t much better.

Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. to Compete For Starting Job

Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the year replacing Raheem Morris after back-to-back eight-win seasons.

“Stefanski went 45-56 during his time in Cleveland, which doesn’t sound great but when you consider the context is actually a remarkable achievement,” Tim Weaver wrote in a Falcons Wire article. “The biggest issue the Browns had during Stefanski’s reign was a total lack of quality starting quarterbacks, with a half an asterisk for Baker Mayfield, who’s the best they’ve had in the post-Tim Couch era.”

Kevin Stefanski made it clear that Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will split reps during the offseason. Stefanski has been given a fresh start to get this quarterback situation right with a new team.

“I think it’s our job, I think [offensive coordinator] Tommy Rees does an outstanding job of making sure that we’re intentional about how we want this to operate,” Stefanski said. “One guy will be up first one period and then switch with the next period and rotate every single day in really almost every drill—because the truth is we’re trying to get the best version of all of our players, so we want to mix and match guys in different spots.”

There is a legit argument that this may be the biggest quarterback competition of the offseason.

Tua Tagovailoa May Have Step Ahead in Competition

As Michael Penix Jr. continues to recover from his ACL injury, Tagovailoa will get quality reps. Penix stated he aims to return Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.

“Ever since I got hurt, that’s been a goal,” Penix said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to focus on the right now and right now I’ve got to do whatever I can to get better each and every day.”

Penix’s injury may come back to bite him in the worst way. The longer he stays sidelined, the more Tagovailoa gains Stefanski’s trust as the first team’s quarterback.

In spite of Penix’s injury, Tagovailoa has been ready to compete since he’s been in the building.

“If there’s no competition, I don’t think anyone’s getting better, in aspect of the field of work you’re in,” Tagovailoa said in an Atlanta Falcons article. “I am excited to be able to compete against [Penix], to compete with him, to be able to get to know my teammates on a personal level, knowing them from the outside in.”

Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will have a lot riding on this upcoming training camp due to the fact that both quarterbacks are looking to prove they are starting caliber quarterbacks in the NFL, but who will get the starting nod?