Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 17

Falcons QBs Draw Viral Mockery With Hopping Drill as Tua Tagovailoa Misses Practice With Oblique Injury

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 17

Falcons QBs Draw Viral Mockery With Hopping Drill as Tua Tagovailoa Misses Practice With Oblique Injury

Q: Will Michael Penix Jr.'s unprecedented third ACL recovery force an undrafted rookie into the spotlight against Carolina?

Probably not, unless Atlanta’s quarterback injuries worsen late in the week. Penix’s recovery is clearly the central variable. He said he is “close,” but also made clear he has not yet hit the physical benchmarks he wants before returning to live game action. This is not a routine ACL comeback: it is his third ACL surgery, and he explained that doctors used a quadriceps graft plus an added lateral LET procedure for stability, making his rehab more complicated than a standard return timeline. Even though he practiced, took some first-team reps and looked comfortable in drills, he is still not fully cleared in practical terms for a game role. That leaves Cooper Rush as the most likely starter against Carolina. He was poor in the Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, but he remains the healthiest proven option and has continued splitting top reps. Tua Tagovailoa’s oblique injury also narrows Atlanta’s choices, as he missed Wednesday’s session and remains day-to-day. Jack Strand, the undrafted rookie from Division II Minnesota State Moorhead, is therefore more of an emergency option than a likely spotlight starter. Atlanta has liked his camp progress and has not publicly ruled him out, but all available reporting suggests the Falcons would prefer to avoid putting him into his first NFL snaps unless Penix is still not ready and Rush or Tagovailoa cannot go or falter badly. So Penix’s unusual recovery keeps the door open for Strand, but as of now it is only slightly ajar, not wide open.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 17

Michael Penix Jr., Cooper Rush and Jack Strand went viral Wednesday after Atlanta posted a warm-up drill showing the quarterbacks hopping backward through their dropbacks ahead of Sunday's home opener against Carolina.
The clip drew jokes across social media, with Penix and Strand appearing to lean into the exercise more than Rush, who started the Falcons' Week 1 loss at Pittsburgh.
Tua Tagovailoa did not take part because of an oblique injury, leaving added focus on a quarterback group already under scrutiny after Atlanta's opener.
Rush went 12-for-22 for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Steelers, while Penix did not play and remains limited after ACL surgery last fall.
Atlanta stayed competitive in Week 1 largely through Bijan Robinson's 173 total yards, but the quarterback situation remains a central question entering Week 2.