Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy

Wednesday, June 17, 10:36 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee), who remains limited to seven-on-seven work at mandatory minicamp this week as he continues to rehab from a surgically repaired ACL, said that "the expectation" is for him to be ready for 11-on-11 team drills during training camp this summer, also he added that he'll need clearance from his doctor for that to happen, according to Will McFadden of the team's official website. McFadden writes that in anything movement-related, Penix has "looked sharp and shown no signs of discomfort." But the Falcons are taking a cautious approach with the former first-rounder. "Each and every day I'm trying to get better," Penix said after practice. "Doing whatever I can to help this team win football games, that's the ultimate goal." It sounds like Atlanta's true QB competition between Penix and Tua Tagovailoa won't come until Penix can do everything in training camp. The 26-year-old Penix is a major durability concern with a lengthy history of torn ACLs, and without a guaranteed starting job, his fantasy stock has fallen considerably heading into 2026 in both dynasty and redraft formats.