The Atlanta Falcons are in an interesting spot to start the season at the quarterback position.
The Atlanta Falcons are officially in game week, and on Labor Day Monday, they finally made the announcement that Tua Tagovailoa would be starting Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Notably, Michael Penix Jr. will find himself inactive as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered last November which saw him return to full practice just a couple of weeks ago. Penix is cleared, but ultimately there's a big difference between a medical clearance and actually being ready to play with limited practice action and returning from injury.
Clearly though, the timeline the Falcons took to make the announcement meant they wanted to give Penix every opportunity to show he is ready to go and that he is their preferred option. Barring Tagovailoa playing well and the team winning games, Penix taking over the job is a when and not an if.
What does the timeline look like for that happening?
Penix Will Likely Be Inactive for At Least a Couple Weeks
Penix not being ready for Week 1 does not exactly scream that he has a real shot to be ready for Week 2, though he did make a point of telling media that he is very close.
That would have him out for the second game of the season and the home opener against the Carolina Panthers barring a surprise. Week 3 feels unlikely as well due to the fact it's on Thursday Night Football and in an ideal world, Atlanta would not be bringing Penix back on a short week.
The sweet spot here could be Week 4 given the Thursday game presents a mini bye early in the season with the next game coming on Monday Night Football. It's also right before the biggest early game on the schedule in another primetime showdown on the road against the New Orleans Saints.
Of course, if the team were to start with a couple of wins and Tagovailoa is playing well, this could prove to be a moot point, however it seems like the Falcons know Penix gives them the best chance when he is fully healthy and able to be on the field.
Atlanta did not have much of a choice for who was going to start the Week 1 game, but Penix is clearly the one who has drawn more favor with the coaching staff. He will be on the field sooner rather than later, and Week 4 seems like the most realistic timeline possible.
