Falcons will be in national spotlight after nightmare start

The Falcons cannot hide from this painful 0-2 start with three consecutive primetime games on the upcoming schedule. That means three straight weeks of a national audience seeing a Falcons team in shambles without a good option under center.

Penix is the presumptive starter when he decides he is fully medically cleared to return, which could be as early as this Thursday. That is according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. But even if he does, it would mark his return to game action following last year's ACL injury. Doing so on a short week of preparation against the Packers is no easy task.

Tua Tagovailoa could return as well, per the ESPN insiders, which is a scenario that won't excite many Falcons fans.

Rush is clearly not the answer, and the rookie Strand is fresh out of Division II college football.

The Falcons have 16 total points through two games with an offense featuring the likes of Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Being embarrassed in the national spotlight could be enough for the organization to reevaluate the state of the team very early in the 2026 season.