Falcons injury updates on Michael Penix Jr., Billy Bowman

Just by being healthy, Tua Tagovailoa has the upper hand in the competition — but Penix’s recovery timeline has been remarkable. He went down with an ACL injury on November 16th, and just seven months later he’s not far off from being a full participant in practice. That should give him a legitimate chance to win the job before the season begins, which is exactly what the Falcons would love to see.

Stefanski also provided an update on cornerback/safety Billy Bowman Jr., who is progressing from the Achilles tear he suffered in the same game Penix went down — but he’s not quite ready to practice yet.

An Achilles tear is one of the most devastating injuries in sports, typically requiring a full year to recover from. Bowman appears to be ahead of that timeline, but making it back for Week 1 would be a remarkable turnaround.

He played in just six games last season but earned a starting role as a rookie and was extremely impressive in the process. With him at full strength, the Falcons have a very intriguing mix of young talent in their secondary that could become the backbone of the defense in 2026.