Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a step forward toward making it a legit quarterback competition with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason.
The Falcons tossing a pigskin on Tuesday. , via a team spokesman, that the QB is participating in Phase 2 of offseason work -- individual drills and group work.
It's the first time we've seen Penix tossing around a football since he tore his ACL in a Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 16. Getting back to the field in any fashion six months later is a positive sign for the QB, who is going through his third ACL rehab in eight years.
The Falcons inked Tagovailoa this offseason to push for the starting gig. The assumption has been that the former Dolphin will get most of the work in Kevin Stefanski's offense this offseason as Penix continued to rehab. Perhaps we'll get a battle earlier than expected.
The third-year pro has been adamant that he'll be ready for Week 1, but the club has conspicuously avoided putting that sort of timetable on his return. Penix's participation in Phase 2 is a good indicator that, at the very least, the QB is on track in his recovery. The sooner he's cleared for full workouts this summer, the sooner a full-fledged QB competition can begin in Atlanta.
