Atlanta Falcons QB Race Loses 1, Adds a New Face

The Atlanta Falcons are one of the only teams in the NFL with a quarterback battle heading into training camp. While Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. have gotten all the headlines, there was also a pending battle for the No. 3 position.

That cleared up a bit on Tuesday morning.

The team announced Tuesday morning they had waived veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian that n with a non-football injury designation.

Simien was signed to a veteran minimum deal with no guaranteed money, so Atlanta will not incur any dead cap charges after making the move. Siemian wasn't in attendance at OTAs, which are optional, at the beginning of June, leading to extended reps for undrafted free agent Jack Strand.

The Falcons only kept two quarterbacks last year, but in our recent 53-man roster projection, we included Strand as a third quarterback ahead of Simian. Strand will get an extended look during the preseason, while Tagovailoa's work may be limited and Penix has yet to be cleared as a full participant at training camp.

Parting ways with Siemian made sense with Tagovailoa already providing a veteran presence for the Falcons in the quarterback room. Even though he's still just 28 years old, Tagovailoa is entering his seventh season in the NFL.

While Strand is now the third quarterback by default, that doesn't mean the Falcons won't bring in another player for training camp. Carrying four quarterbacks helps the 90 players at camp get reps and helps to keep everyone fresh in what can be a hot and humid August in Flowery Branch.

UPDATE: Adam Schefter confirms the Falcons are signing Cooper Rush.

With Atlanta QB Tua Tagovailoa dealing with a tight back and Michael Penix still not practicing due to a knee injury, the Falcons are signing veteran quarterback Cooper Rush, per sources. pic.twitter.com/1pATnj7gbR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 29, 2026

Tagovailoa and Penix will battle for the No. 1 spot, with the third place on the depth chart is settled, for now. Tagovailoa has an advantage going in for now, because Penix has yet to fully enter the fray. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is expected to announce whether Penix has been cleared as a full participant or not on Wednesday morning at training camp.

The veterans arrived on Tuesday, and Wednesday is the first day of practice. Penix did everything but 11v11 work in OTAs and minicamp, with the fear of someone falling into his surgically repaired knee before he is 100%.

That said, Penix was still doing rollouts and was moving without any noticeable, lingering effects from his sugery in November. Tagovailoa is trying to bounce back from his worst season as a pro, which helped lead to his release from the Miami Dolphins.

All eyes will be on the quarterback position at Atlanta Falcons training camp, but at least one spot on the depth chart has gotten a little more clarity on Wednesday morning.

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