ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 14: Jack Strand #18 and Cooper Rush #13 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to an NFL preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images There are two separate quarterback competitions going on for the Atlanta Falcons. The first is the battle for the starting job, where Tua Tagovailoa is in the driver’s seat because he’s healthy enough to appear in full-team practices and play in preseason games, where Michael Penix Jr. is working his way back. The second is the fight for the third quarterback role, where Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are engaged in a more feisty battle than anticipated after Rush played poorly in the first preseason game. Neither of those battles are settled, head coach Kevin Stefanski noted yesterday, with Tua and Penix still set to battle and Stefanski weighing whether to start Rush or Strand on Saturday against the Colts.
Kevin Stefanski on naming a QB: “We’re continuing on our process, continuing where we are.” Thinks joint practices will be a chance for good work for both Tua Tagovailoa & Michael Penix Jr. pic.twitter.com/cbQqOYRvL0 — Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) August 17, 2026
Stefanski doesn't know if Rush or Strand will start Friday at QB. #Falcons — Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 17, 2026
After Tua’s shaky performance in preseason, it’s good to see Stefanski keeping the door open for Penix. As I’ve written all spring and summer, health is the chief obstacle and continues to be, as we’re still waiting for Penix to be ready and the team to start rolling him out in full-team drills. But Penix winning this job and excelling in it is the best case scenario for Atlanta, given he’s younger, has more theoretical upside, and is under team control for longer than Tua. If Penix cannot get into game action at all and simply isn’t ready to do so by Week 1, Stefanski will have to closer that door in the coming weeks, but the hope is that Penix is nearing full clearance. That’s hope, of course, and nothing concrete. In the interim, Tua can help himself with good joint practices this week. He hasn’t been stealing the show in the last handful of practices and looked flustered against the Broncos, which is also leaving the door very much open for Penix. The second battle also seems very much up in the air. Strand was not impressive against the Broncos, but he had a couple of really nice throws, scored the game’s lone touchdown on a sneak (and pulled off another successful sneak later), and continues to be far more advanced than a Division II undrafted free agent typically is. Rush is a veteran with successful NFL stints under his belt, but he threw some unbelievably poor passes against Denver, including a pick-six and another interception, and generally did not look comfortable running the offense. Rush has the experience to bounce back and seize the job, but I’d be interested in seeing Strand get a start and see if he can hold his own. It’s likely we won’t know the result of these battles until after the third week of preseason, with the competitive nature of both a good thing and the uncertainty a little unnerving. Perhaps this week of joint practices will create some welcome daylight.