EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons do not have a quarterback competition. At least not yet, according to quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt.On Monday, Van Pelt said he believes there cannot be a true competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. until Penix is able to do all the things in practice that Tagovailoa can do. Penix is recovering from left ACL surgery in November and has yet to be cleared for 11-on-11 team sessions.Penix has been at practice, though. He's been doing 7-on-7s and individual drills -- more than some would have thought just seven months after an ACL reconstruction."It's tough to have a competition when both guys aren't competing at the same level right now," Van Pelt said. "So, it's hard and it'll come. It'll happen at some point. Mike's done a great job of getting himself to where he is right now. Really impressive to take 7-on-7 reps and go out and compete. That's been great. But really, there's no competition until we can actually evaluate him equally."Van Pelt said Penix has been taking more 7-on-7 reps than Tagovailoa to somewhat make up for the difference in Penix's lack of 11-on-11 sessions."We split the reps as evenly as we can without Mike taking team reps," Van Pelt said. "It gets a little lopsided towards Tua."Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said last month that Penix being cleared for 11-on-11 sessions is "coming soon." He was coy Monday about whether that could end up happening next week during minicamp. The Falcons will hold their minicamp practices on June 16 and 17."We'll see," Stefanski said.Penix had a scheduled day off from practice Monday, something that is dictated by the Falcons' medical personnel. If there is any kind of ramp up period or timetable, Stefanski is keeping things close to the vest. When asked about Penix playing in the preseason, he said "we're a ways away" from that decision."He's hitting every milestone that he's supposed to hit," Stefanski said. "We're in constant communication with our medical team and Mike and I think he's doing everything he can do and certainly when he may want to do more, we have to hold him back from certain things potentially. But not going to put any timeframes out there just yet, just going to focus on what's in front of us."
