The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. faces complications as training camp begins. Tagovailoa is sidelined with a tight back injury that head coach Kevin Stefanski characterized as not serious, with expectations for the veteran to return within a week. Penix, recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 11 of the previous season, remains unable to participate in full team drills and is still working through rehabilitation on the practice field.
With both quarterbacks unavailable or limited, the Falcons signed veteran quarterback Cooper Rush on Wednesday to serve as a camp arm. The 32-year-old, who was working out in Dallas when his agent called with news of the signing, brings eight NFL seasons of experience and 42 career game appearances to the roster. In four games for the Ravens in the previous season, Rush completed 65.4% of his passes for 303 yards and four interceptions. His addition addresses the team’s shortage of healthy quarterbacks after undrafted rookie Jack Strand remained the only fully available option.
Penix expressed optimism about his recovery progress, noting he has been feeling good despite taking a cautious approach given his injury history—this marks his third ACL tear, though the first to his left knee. He indicated he was told recovery could take another four weeks before advancing to the next stage, though earlier progress is possible. Stefanski praised Penix’s rehabilitation efforts and professional approach to the gradual return process.
Stafanski emphasized that Penix’s progression would be handled on a day-to-day basis and that he would advance to team drills only after receiving medical clearance. The head coach suggested that if Penix requires an extended recovery timeline, he could potentially miss the entire preseason, which would significantly impact his ability to compete for the starting role against Tagovailoa.
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