FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have not announced who will start at quarterback in their Sept. 13 season opener at the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the club says the decision will be a group one. General manager Ian Cunningham said Wednesday the choice will include input from himself, head coach Kevin Stefanski, president of football Matt Ryan and owner Arthur Blank.
Michael Penix Jr. was the Falcons’ Week 1 starter last season but tore his left ACL in November and was not cleared to practice fully until last week. Penix did not play in any preseason games and resumed 11-on-11 work on Aug. 24.
The Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year, $1.3 million contract after his release from the Miami Dolphins in early March. Tagovailoa arrived at training camp in late July with a tight back and missed about a week of activity.
With Penix and Tagovailoa limited early in camp, veteran Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand received most of the early repetitions. Rush was signed a day before camp opened, and both he and Strand performed well in the preseason. The Falcons carried all four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster earlier this week.
“So, it just so happens that we had four guys who went out and earned it at that position and it’s a good position to have depth,” assistant general manager Jeff Scott said. “So, as far as I’m concerned, it’s about whoever goes out there works and earns it.”
Cunningham said the Falcons want more opportunities to evaluate Penix, who had only three 11-on-11 practices last week. “The more reps, the more evaluations we can get, the better,” Cunningham said. He added that the team has been discussing the decision collectively and will announce a starter when it is time to make the choice.
