Falcons quarterback Michael Penix isn’t a full participant in the team’s OTA practices this week, but his recovery from a torn ACL has gone well enough for him to take part in 7-on-7 work at this point in the offseason. Penix said on Tuesday that he “feels like himself” on the field and that his goal has “always been” to be ready for the team’s season opener in September. Once Penix is cleared for full football activities, Penix will have to beat out Tua Tagovailoa to start against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. That competition has miles to go and Penix said his focus will be on his road rather than on anything Tagovailoa is doing. “I’m running my own race ,” Penix said, via the team’s website. “I can’t look into another lane. But at the same time, we are working together. That’s what its all about. Working together and working with each other to finish the race.” It will be hard to get a clear read on where things stand in the Falcons’ competition until Penix is back to full speed and the decision will be the first major one that Kevin Stefanski makes as the head coach in Atlanta
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here . Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs enter the season looking to reestablish themselves atop the AFC West, with the two-time MVP targeting a September return after suffering a devastating ACL tear late in the 2025 campaign. While there’s still no official timetable for Patrick Mahomes’ return, the superstar joins new Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Kyler Murray among the early favorites in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds . Here are the latest NFL odds as we build toward Week 1. Player Position Patrick Mahomes QB +150 Kyler Murray QB +550 Micah Parsons Edge +1000 Malik Nabers WR +1000 Daniel Jones QB +1600 Nick Bosa DE +1900 Fred Warner LB +1900 Tucker Kraft TE +2500 George Kittle TE +2500 Cam Skattebo RB +2700 Odds as of 5-19-2026. Odds from FanDuel, one of our best betting apps . Sign up with our FanDuel promo code , or get one of our other sportsbook promos . Here is a look at the opening odds for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Patrick Mahomes (+150) opened as the betting favorite. Patrick Mahomes (+150) Kyler Murray (+550) Micah Parsons (+1000) Malik Nabers (+1000) Daniel Jones (+1600) Nick Bosa (+1900) Fred Warner (+1900) Tucker Kraft (+2500) George Kittle (+2500) Travis Hunter (+2700) Cam Skattebo (+2700) Brock Bowers (+3000) Garrett Wilson (+3300) Trey Hendrickson (+3500) Sam LaPorta (+4000) Geno Smith (+4000) Quinshon Judkins (+4000) Malik Willis (+4000) Tua Tagovailoa (+4000) Concussion history aside, Tua Tagovailoa will really benefit from a change of scenery. Heading into a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons , the former fifth overall pick will have a leg up on Michael Penix Jr. in training camp, as Penix continues to recover from the partially torn ACL he suffered a year ago. Tua spent three consecutive years from 2022–2024 leading the league in either passer rating, passing yards, or completion percentage, and landing in an offense featuring Bijan Robinson , Drake London , and Kyle Pitts could give the Falcons quarterback production similar to his best days under Mike McDaniel. Tagovailoa will also escape the cold conditions of the AFC East, no longer having to play in Buffalo or Foxborough, instead spending half his time indoors at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with favorable environments in New Orleans and Tampa Bay. If anything, Tagovailoa should feel like he's back in his SEC college days. CPOY Pick: Tua Tagovailoa (+4000 at FanDuel) NFL MVP odds NFL OPOY odds NFL DPOY odds NFL ROY odds • Over the last eight years, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has gone to a quarterback seven times. • From 2014 to 2018, every Comeback Player of the Year had suffered a season-ending injury during the previous year, and Alex Smith won in 2020 after recovering from a devastating leg injury that almost required amputation. • Joe Burrow joins Chad Pennington (2006 and 2008) as the only player to win this award twice. Year NFL CPOY winner Team 2025 Christian McCaffrey San Francisco 49ers 2024 Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals 2023 Joe Flacco Cleveland Browns 2022 Geno Smith Seattle Seahawks 2021 Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals 2020 Alex Smith Washington Commanders 2019 Ryan Tannehill Tennessee Titans 2018 Andrew Luck Indianapolis Colts 2017 Keenan Allen Los Angeles Chargers 2016 Jordy Nelson Green Bay Packers 2015 Eric Berry Kansas City Chiefs 2014 Rob Gronkowski New England Patriots 2013 Philip Rivers Los Angeles Chargers 2012 Peyton Manning Denver Broncos 2011 Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions 2010 Michael Vick Philadelphia Eagles This article originally appeared on Covers.com , read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos
The Falcons moved into the OTA phase of their offseason workouts this week and that allows them to start doing 11-on-11 work during practice sessions. Such work will be a significant part of their quarterback decision heading into the fall, but Michael Penix is not quite ready for that step yet. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said at a Tuesday press conference that Penix remains limited to individual and 7-on-7 work as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. Stefanski also looked ahead to how the competition with Tua Tagovailoa will unfold once Penix is ready to do everything on the practice field. "Very intentionally," Stefanski said. "I think it's our job — I think [offensive coordinator] Tommy Rees does an outstanding job of making sure that we’re intentional about how we want this to operate. One guy will be up first one period and then switch with the next period and rotate every single day and really almost every drill because the truth is we're trying to get the best version of all of our players, so we want to mix and match guys in different spots." It's unclear if Penix will move up to full team drills when the Falcons will have their mandatory minicamp next month. If he doesn't, training camp will be the time when the bulk of the head-to-head competition takes place in Atlanta
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski detailed plans for an intentional quarterback competition between Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, with rotations planned to evaluate both players. Penix is still recovering from an ACL tear and is limited to non-11-on-11 drills for now
Penix (knee) will participate in 7-on-7s and individual drills Tuesday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports. Practices in May are no-contact, and mostly at less than full speed. It's nonetheless a good sign for Penix to be on the field in any fashion less than six months removed from surgery to repair the third ACL tear of his football career. Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski hinted at a return to full-team drills in the not-so-distant future, but Stefanski's optimism in May doesn't necessarily mean Penix will be cleared for contact when the Falcons start training camp in late July. Stefanski also mentioned that the team will be "very intentional" about splitting reps between Penix and Tagovailoa, per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site. The Falcons have made it clear they signed Tagovailoa to compete for the starting job, even if Penix clears all medical hurdles long before Week 1
The Falcons wrapped up their major offseason moves, with free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft behind us. While there are likely to be a few veteran additions sprinkled over the next few months, they aren’t likely to be earth-shattering maneuvers. For better or worse, Atlanta seems to be moving forward with a conservative, future-focused approach. Which, for the record, I agree with wholeheartedly. Despite the quieter approach to team-building to kick off the new regime, I think Atlanta has made significant strides in improving the depth and overall quality of the roster. While the starting talent has taken a step back, the roster itself is likely to be a lot more well-rounded. Whether this results in success or failure in the win column remains to be seen. All that being said, it’s time to take my first shot at predicting the Falcons eventual 53-man roster. As you’ll see below, some position groups have gone through pretty drastic transformations this offseason. Others have remained largely intact with one or two key additions. My initial takeaway is that I like the overall look of this team even if their ceiling is probably capped more than in previous seasons. The roster projection is also available in both video and audio format, which you can find embedded below. If you enjoyed the written version, consider giving us a click on these platforms as well. Listen to the audio version of this article using the player below, or find it on your favorite podcast platforms. Italics denote a change from the previous roster projection. Michael Penix Jr. Tua Tagovailoa Trevor Siemian The Falcons will be engaging in a full-on quarterback competition this summer. Much depends on Michael Penix Jr.’s health and return to play timeline heading into his third season. I think Penix still has a strong chance to win the job, and the team would probably prefer that outcome. It’s in everyone’s best interest to see Penix play, whether he ends up looking good or bad. If Penix isn’t healthy in time for training camp, it’ll be tough to for him to overtake veteran Tua Tagovailoa. Tua is a high-variance quarterback but has certainly put together some strong seasons, and it’s entirely possible he outplays Penix this summer and wins the job outright. While I’m intrigued by UDFA addition Jack Strand, he’s very much a developmental project. I can’t really see him overtaking steady veteran Trevor Siemian without a legendary training camp and preseason performance. Bijan Robinson Brian Robinson Jr . Nate Carter I think the Falcons will continue with a light running back room in 2026 despite the coaching changes. Bijan Robinson dominates touches to such a degree that a even the RB3 is unlikely to get snaps on a weekly basis. Brian Robinson Jr. is a solid Tyler Allgeier replacement who can handle a similar role, although I’m not expecting him to be quite as effective. I still believe in Nate Carter, who brings a speed element to Atlanta’s run game that the rest of the group lacks. He’ll face stiff competition from veteran Tyler Goodson , former UDFA Carlos Washington Jr., and new UDFA Cash Jones. Kyle Pitts Charlie Woerner Austin Hooper Brandon Frazier Editor’s Note: This roster projection was written prior to a series of roster moves. I’m leaving in my thoughts on TE Brandon Frazier so you can all enjoy how wrong I was. Atlanta kept their top two tight ends from 2025, with a long-term extension possibly looming for Kyle Pitts and Charlie Woerner retained despite a high salary cost. The team also brought back Austin Hooper, who can provide a veteran presence with solid blocking and receiving in 13 personnel. I’m guessing blocking will be a bigger emphasis with this coaching staff, and UDFA Brandon Frazier could stake his claim to the roster with a strong training camp performance. Drake London Jahan Dotson Zachariah Branch Olamide Zaccheaus Chris Blair With tight end likely to have a larger presence, I expect Atlanta’s wide receivers to take on a
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SeatGeek is the official NFL Ticketing Partner of the New York Post. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. The NFC South almost belonged to the Atlanta Falcons in 2025. To end the season, Kirk Cousins stepped up in Michael Penix Jr.’s absence and helped the club cobble together a four-game win streak to tie the Panthers and Buccaneers at 8-9. Unfortunately, due to a tiebreaker, Carolina won the division and sent Atlanta packing for the offseason. Once the season officially wrapped, the franchise went into rebuild mode and dumped head coach Raheem Morris for former Browns field general Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski, 44, joins Falcons nucleus members Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson , Chris Lindstrom , Drake London and Jesse Bates III along with head-turning offseason acquisitions Brian Robinson Jr. , Tua Tagovailoa , Jahan Dotson , Jake Bailey and Austin Hooper as well as standout second round draft pick Avieon Terrell. And, while they look great on paper and have the fifth-easiest schedule of any NFL team in ’26 (based on last year’s winning percentages), don’t start daydreaming of a playoff berth banner hanging from the rafters just yet. Penix Jr. and the Dirty Birds will really have to show up this year given how many perennial contenders — and 2025 under-performers but often great teams — are heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium come September. Thanks to the NFL schedule rollout, we know the club will have to face Lamar Jackson ’s Baltimore Ravens (Oct. 11), Caleb Williams Chicago Bears (Oct. 18), Brock Purdy ’s San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 25), Patrick Mahomes ’ Kansas City Chiefs (Nov. 15) and Jared Goff ’s Detroit Lions (Dec. 6) at home. Of course, they’ll meet up with the Bryce Young’s Carolina Panthers (Sept. 20) and Baker Mayfield ’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Dec. 27), too. Thus, Stefanski’s squad will need all the help it can get from the Falcons faithful. If you want to root yourself hoarse for the Dirty Birds live, tickets are available for all eight Atlanta Falcons 2026 home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on SeatGeek. SeatGeek is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. Not familiar with SeatGeek? They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event. For those who prefer to pick and choose which home games make the most sense for you to attend, we’re here for you, too. Below, you’ll find a list of all upcoming Atlanta Falcons home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including dates, start times and opponents. Atlanta Falcons home game dates Panthers vs. Falcons Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. Ravens vs. Falcons Sunday, Oct. 11 at 8:20 p.m. Bears vs. Falcons Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. 49ers vs. Falcons Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. Chiefs vs. Falcons Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. Lions vs. Falcons Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. Buccaneers vs. Falcons Sunday, Dec. 27 at TBD Saints vs. Falcons Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027 at 1 p.m. If you think you might find yourself traveling with the Falcons this year, here’s where you can find them on the road once the 2026 season begins. There is no shortage of ways to watch Falcons games live from the comfort of your own home this season. You can find Stefanski’s stacked squad on ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC and NFL Network on select dates. Through the regular season, most NFC games will be broadcast on FOX. For specialty games, “Sunday Night Football” can be found on NBC along with Peacock, “Monday Night Football” is reserved for ESPN and “Thursday Night Football” streams on Amazon Prime Video. Before the Falcons officially kick off the season (and a little after), many of the biggest stars in music will be playing at arenas and stadiums all over The Gate City. Here are just five of the concerts we’re most excited about coming [... truncated ...]
The 2026 NFL regular season is finally here. Now we can talk about it. Sure, the next few hours will be dominated by breakdowns of all the schedule release videos put together by the various teams, but let’s look ahead to the first week of the season. What games should you watch, and what games are you not even putting on the quadbox? This will be a game of NFL football. Yes, there is the Robert Saleh revenge factor, but even that does not move the needle too much. This could be Kirk Cousins versus Malik Willis . Or it could be Fernando Mendoza versus Malik Willis. Either way, this is a game to keep tabs on using your phone. Tua Tagovailoa versus Aaron Rodgers ? Michael Penix Jr . versus Drew Allar ? Yeah, we’re just not sure this should be high on your list of priorities in Week 1. Who asked for this, besides perhaps Seattle fans? We … just saw this game. It did not go well. After crossing the 50-yard line on their opening possession, the Patriots did not see Seahawks’ territory until their first drive of the fourth quarter. The highlight of the night was, unless you are a Seahawks fan, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance. Sure, having a non-conference game in this slot makes sense, for playoff tiebreakers and things like that. But, we just saw this game and we’re not sure anyone wants to see it again anytime soon. Particularly on opening night. It will be fun to see Jeremiyah Love’s debut, but this could turn ugly quickly. NFC East games in primetime slots will continue until morale improves. Yes, this is John Harbaugh’s first game with the Giants, and yes since it is an island game we know you will be watching. But on a list like this, we do not feel compelled to bump this game up much higher. The Bengals have hopes of a return to the postseason, provided they can get a year of completely healthy. The Buccaneers are hoping to bounce back after a collapse in the second half of 2025. Still, we’re in something of “wait and see” mode when it comes to both teams. Given the rest of the early Sunday slate, there are some games on the schedule we are more excited about. We are putting this game right in the middle for one simple reason. We do not know who will be under center for each team. Both Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix are coming back from injuries suffered late in the season. If both starting quarterback are back for Week 1, then this game easily moves up this list. But if we are talking about a Justin Fields versus Jarrett Stidham matchup, then this game could just as easily slide down this list. So it stays in the middle for now. Check with us in August. We absolutely loved what the Browns did in the draft. We were not fans of what the Jaguars did. But that is why they play the games, right? Honestly, the reason this game is so high is this: Sonny Styles . The dynamic linebacker making his debut against Jalen Hurts and this offense? That is going to be a blast to watch. Add in the return of Jayden Daniels , and the fact that this game is in the late afternoon Sunday slate (against games such as Cardinals at Chargers and Dolphins at Raiders) and you have a game you’ll want to be watching. The Saints could be a sneaky good team this year, and we look at Detroit as one of the teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 yet should make a return to the postseason in 2026. Because of that, this is a game we’re going to be keeping an eye on. This game is an exciting, early-season test for both teams. Will Daniel Jones be back, allowing the Colts to return to what they showed during the first half of 2026? How will the Ravens fare in new head coach Jesse Minter’s debut? A Week 1 tonesetter for two teams with playoff aspirations. Who will be under center for Minnesota when this game kicks off? The folks at Startnine.win have a thought. But beyond J.J. McCarthy versus Kyler Murray , the bigger question here is Jordan Love versus Brian Flores. How Love and the Green Bay offense handle what Flores throws at them w
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The Buffalo Bills are set to play a gauntlet of quarterbacks in the 2026 regular season. Nowadays there are much better ways than in the past to determine how difficult a team’s schedule will likely be. Warren Sharp among others intelligently use Vegas’ win totals for the opponents for each team, which is significantly better than the previous year’s win-loss record, which for a long time was the only way it was done. Back then, as a counter to what always felt like a silly way to decide strength schedule, I always thought examining the list of quarterbacks a team would face provided a much better idea of schedule difficulty. Let’s do that here, by power ranking the quarterbacks the Bills are set to face in 2026: As a reminder, the teams: Home : Jets , Patriots , Dolphins, Lions, Bears, Chiefs , Chargers , Ravens Away: Jets, Patriots, Dolphins, Broncos , Raiders , Packers , Vikings, Texans , and Rams 14. Geno Smith – New York Jets It’s strange that Smith is back with the Jets, isn’t it? For a while, during draft season, it always took me an extra few to seconds remember who was Gang Green’s quarterback, then it’d hit me. Smith’s early-30s revitalization seemingly vanished a season ago with the Raiders when he threw 19 touchdowns to a league-high 17 interceptions. In 2025, Smith posted his lowest passer rating (84.7) since 2017 and lowest yards-per-attempt average (6.8) since 2020. Don’t get me wrong, Smith is still a reasonably talented passer, yet at nearly 36 years old, it feels right placing him at this spot in these rankings. 13. Kirk Cousins / Fernando Mendoza – Las Vegas Raiders Cousins is older than Smith, and just a few years ago, it wouldn’t be insane ranking Cousins higher. Out of nowhere, after losing his starting gig in Atlanta to Michael Penix Jr., Mr. Fully Guaranteed Contract played some respectable football — with some figures nearly identical to Smith’s. His passer rating a season ago was 84.8, and he averaged 6.8 yards per pass attempt. I’m fully aware of how rookie quarterbacks tend to struggle, and I did view the No. 1 overall pick as an advanced version of Cousins himself. Yet Mendoza’s presence here as an option for the Raiders led to Las Vegas having a higher ranking than Smith and the Jets. 12. C.J. Stroud – Houston Texans I don’t know what to do with Stroud, so I won’t be offended if you question this spot in the rankings. He’s one of the craftiest, methodically accurate pocket passers in football. Yet at his age, Stroud should be routinely making better decisions. He’s also demonstrated a downward trend overall since his stellar rookie campaign as opposed to across-the-board improvement. For someone who can place the ball surgically all over the field — we’ve seen him do it in the NFL — his Adjusted Completion rate of 69.4% in 2025 ranked 39th out of 43 qualifying quarterbacks. 11. Malik Willis – Green Bay Packers I’ve been a Willis fan since his days as a prospect. I thought he was criminally underrated coming out of Liberty despite realizing there was rawness that needed to be worked out of his game. In his auditions last year in Green Bay , after years of schooling, Willis demonstrated his potential as a dual-threat weapon at quarterback. He has a strong arm, plenty of juice as a runner, and has sharpened his accuracy. I just don’t trust the receiving weapons around him in Miami right now. 10. Kyler Murray – Minnesota Vikings I think Murray is going to be pretty darn good in Minnesota in 2025 — how could he not be? Earlier in his career, with a former quarterback as his head coach and DeAndre Hopkins to throw the football, Murray hovered into the MVP conversation in Arizona . Now he gets Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson , Jordan Addison , Jauan Jennings , and Kevin O’Connell calling the plays. Plus, he essentially took the entire 2025 season off due to injury. He should be full-go in 2026, and he’ll only be 29 in August. 9. Bo Nix – Denver Broncos I’ll admit — this will be the [... truncated ...]
The uncertainty of Michael Penix’s return from a torn ACL led the Falcons to sign veteran Tua Tagovailoa. Penix’s rehab seems to have ramped up as he seeks to enter the quarterback competition. Penix is throwing again six months after injuring his left knee in a game against the Panthers. The Falcons posted video of Penix throwing to wide receiver Drake London at the team’s facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia. A team spokesperson told Marc Raimondi of ESPN that Penix is participating in Phase 2 of the Falcons’ offseason program, which consists of drills and individual work. Penix, 26, has torn an ACL three times in eight years, twice tearing the ACL in his right knee while in college. Penix has said he expects to be ready for Week 1, but will that be soon enough to put him in a position to compete with Tagovailoa for the job? He has started 12 games and thrown for 2,757 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions since the Falcons drafted him eighth overall in 2024
Atlanta Falcons president of football Matt Ryan acknowledged on 680 The Fan that "you just don't know" where quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is "going to be" for the start of training camp in late July. However, Ryan is confident with how Penix has approached his rehab after tearing his ACL in 2025. "Mike's in a good spot right now. As far as expectations, we don't really know what to expect at the beginning of training camp," Ryan said. The Falcons don't plan to rush Penix back to the field, which could give new QB Tua Tagovailoa a leg up in the competition for the starting job under center in Atlanta going into Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Penix's dynasty stock is dropping quickly after he had surgery for another torn ACL in his knee back in November. It's the third time since college that he's suffered a torn ACL. The 25-year-old lefty signal-caller was mediocre before his injury in his first full year as the Falcons' starter, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in nine starts. Penix will need to get healthy first, and then he'll need to improve his accuracy to have a chance to beat Tua out. It's looking more likely that Penix is going to enter the start of next season as Atlanta's backup
When Matt Ryan was playing for the Falcons, the team didn't have to answer any questions about their quarterback plans but his first year as the franchise's president of football isn't starting under the same circumstances
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) has made 12 starts in his young career, beginning his rookie season behind veteran Kirk Cousins before taking over in Week 16. Year two began with the roles reversed, until Penix tore his ACL in Week 11, his fifth season-ending injury and third ACL tear dating back to his college days. Across nearly a full year of professional starts, the eighth overall pick from the 2024 Draft has gone 4-8, throwing for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. While Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix from the same draft class have all shown signs or outright proof that they can be franchise cornerstones, the outlook is still unclear on Penix. While he has a chance to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, the Falcons brought in a new coaching staff and signed former Dolphin Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year deal. Their camp battle will be one to watch, as both players are essentially fighting for their future in the league, and if neither player impresses in the first year of the new regime, it would surprise nobody if the franchise explored new options in what currently projects to be a loaded 2027 draft class. Penix will be 26 by the start of his third season and sits at QB26 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, eight spots higher than Tagovailoa
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Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
