Falcons coach not ready to name Week 2 starting QB

Sep 17 (Field Level Media) - The Atlanta Falcons have four quarterbacks on their depth chart, but coach Kevin Stefanski is ​not ready to name one the starter for Week 2.

The Falcons (0-1) host the Carolina Panthers (0-1) on Sunday, with Atlanta's first-year coach saying the staff is "not ruling anybody out" for the starting job at ‌quarterback.

"We will have a quarterback, yes, for this week," was the best Stefanski could do with Tua Tagovailoa missing practice Wednesday because of the ⁠right oblique injury he sustained Thursday before the season ​opener at Pittsburgh.

Michael Penix Jr., who became the starter ⁠in 2025 before an ACL injury cut short his season after nine games and required surgery, is on ‌a recovery schedule that kept ‌him from competing with Tagovailoa at training camp. Penix, 26, was inactive on Sunday but ⁠practiced on Wednesday.

"I'm not trying to be coy," Stefanski said when ⁠pressed on whether Penix might become available. "I'm just not ruling anybody out. Continue to work through it. We're all on the same page between myself, the medical team, Mike. We'll work through all those things."

Tagovailoa, 28, was slated to start the season opener against the Steelers, and instead the Falcons went with former third-string quarterback Cooper Rush, who now is nursing a sore back. He completed 12 of 22 ‌passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions in the ​20-13 loss.

Rush and Penix split first-team reps at Wednesday's practice, said Rush. Penix said he's close to returning from his knee injury.

"I'm working extremely hard," Penix said. "I'm dying to be out there."

The Falcons are sticking with their timetable for Penix's return even under the circumstances of uncertainty at quarterback.

"Like I told you guys, I feel really good about the plan and where we are," Stefanski said. "I'm not gonna get into specific conversations with our players, but Mike is progressing and doing a good job. But we'll see ​how it goes."

Stefanski said Tagovailoa is day-to-day but would not commit to starting him if he is healthy on Sunday.

"Of course, ideal ‌world, I think ‌everybody, every team, you'd ⁠love to know who's playing at every position," Stefanski said. "That's a no-brainer. I get that part. But we're going to be flexible and make sure that we're giving all of our guys the ability to go play and play well."

The Falcons added veteran Rush, 32, during training camp. They also kept undrafted rookie Jack Strand, 22, on ‌the active roster as insurance with ​the injury histories of Penix and Tagovailoa, a former starter ‌who was released by the Miami ⁠Dolphins in the offseason.

"Jack ​is not being ruled out for this game," Stefanski said.

Cornerback A.J. Terrell (shoulder) and guard Chris Lindstrom (concussion) also missed practice on ​Wednesday.

(--Field Level Media)

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