Report: Falcons QB Leftwich could start Sunday
ATLANTA (TICKER) —Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino has not ruled out the possibility of starting Byron Leftwich at quarterback Sunday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Thursday.
Leftwich went through his first full practice Wednesday after spending three weeks rehabilitating his surgically repaired right ankle. He damaged ligaments in the ankle in his first start with the Falcons on October 21 in a 22-16 loss at New Orleans.
Joey Harrington has started at quarterback in eight of nine games for the Falcons (3-6), who have won two straight contests and host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4) on Sunday.
“If we were going today, Joey would start because you don’t know how Byron’s health is,” Petrino told the Journal-Constitution. “But I don’t want to put myself in a corner where if Byron’s at 100 percent healthy we wouldn’t (start him), because we might.”
Harrington, who has five touchdowns and five interceptions this season, was reportedly stunned to learn from the media that his job was in jeopardy.
“That message has not been conveyed to me,” Harrington said during a regularly scheduled news conference Wednesday. “I’m not going to create a fuss. I’m going to do my job for this team.
“If they need me to play this week, then I’m going to go do that and play like I have been playing all year.”
Petrino is leaving little doubt about the state of his quarterback situation.
“To be honest with you, we made the decision a while back that Byron was the starter and Joey was the backup,” Petrino said. “Right now it’s just a health issue, how is he health-wise.”
While emphatically tabbing Leftwich as the team’s No. 1 signal-caller, Petrino has not appeared so decisive this season.
Harrington opened the season as Atlanta’s starter, but after a 1-3 start, Leftwich replaced him in Week Five during a loss to Tennessee.
Harrington started again in Week 6 - a 31-10 loss to the New York Giants - and was benched in favor of Leftwich the following week against the Saints.
Leftwich is 17-of-31 for 173 yards with one touchdown and one interception this season.
