FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) 鈥� Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski on Wednesday said starters, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, will play at least the first series in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.
With still not cleared for team drills as he continues his recovery from surgery on his left knee, the Falcons’ expected quarterback competition has been put on hold. Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphins starter who signed a with Atlanta, has a clear path to the starting job as long as Penix is limited to individual work and seven-on-seven drills in practice.
Stefanski said Tagovailoa and other first-team players will play 鈥渁 series, maybe 10 plays. We’ll see which comes first.鈥� Stefanski said the playing time could vary for some starters.
When asked if Tagovailoa’s start means he has won the starting job for the season, Stefanski said: 鈥淎s you guys know, I鈥檓 not there, we鈥檙e not there. … We just will cross that bridge when we get to it. Obviously, I feel very good about where Tua is, where all of our guys are.鈥�
, who was signed at the start of training camp to give the team another veteran at quarterback, will play behind Tagovailoa. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand will finish the game.
Stefanski said Tagovailoa is 鈥渓ooking forward to getting his first action in a game in the system. There鈥檚 a lot of newness for him as well, in terms of that type of thing. It鈥檚 his first time in (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) as a Falcon.鈥�
Tagovailoa said Tuesday he believes preseason games are important as he adjusts to the Falcons’ playbook.
鈥淧reseason plays a big role, I would say, for your team collectively,鈥� Tagovailoa said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have the coaches out there. You gotta go out there, you gotta make the calls, whether it鈥檚 right or wrong. You gotta live with them, and then from there you come in the next day, you watch film, you talk about it, and you go from there.鈥�
Added Tagovailoa: 鈥淲ith the walk-throughs that we鈥檝e had, you start to get more and more comfortable with the terminology. … So getting comfortable, but it鈥檚 still something that I need to look over, need to continue to study and continue to process.鈥�
Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said Tuesday Tagovailoa 鈥渋s becoming more comfortable with the system鈥� after being limited by lower back tightness at the start of training camp. 鈥淩eally the last three or four days he鈥檚 really come on when you鈥檙e acclimating a quarterback into a new offense,鈥� Van Pelt said.
While some teams hold out starters for most or all preseason games, Stefanski’s decision to give his first-team players at least one series is consistent with the first-year Atlanta coach allowing players to be tackled in full-pads drills. Some coaches opt for 鈥渢hud鈥� tackles where players are not taken to the ground.
Stefanski said his goal is to have players 鈥減hysically ready … and mentally ready鈥� for a 17-game regular season 鈥渁nd then more.鈥�
鈥淚 just believe in making what we do out in the grass as close to football and as close to game-like as you can,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n order to do that, you have to practice hard. That鈥檚 just what comes with the territory of what we believe in.鈥�
Stefanski said Penix will continue to be held out of team drills next week when the Falcons travel to Indianapolis for joint practices with the Colts.
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