Falcons' Michael Penix: Needs procedure to repair ACL
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The Falcons confirmed Wednesday that Penix sustained a partially torn ACL in his left knee during the team's Week 11 loss to Carolina, and he will require full reconstructive surgery to address the injury, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports. Atlanta officially placed Penix him on injured reserve.
Penix will face, at a minimum, a nine-month recovery upon going under the knife. As a result, Penix is unlikely to be a full participant in the Falcons' offseason program, and his status for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign could also be in jeopardy. In addition to damaging his ACL, Penix also aggravated the pre-existing bone bruise in the knee. Even before going down with the injury Sunday, the 2024 first-round pick already had a checkered medical history, as he required surgeries to repair the ACL in his right knee in 2018 and 2020, and he also had college seasons end early in 2019 and 2021 due to shoulder injuries. Kirk Cousins will lead Atlanta under center for the remainder of the 2025 season, and the team will likely enter the offseason with additional incentive to secure a capable backup option behind Penix. The 25-year-old will finish his second professional campaign having completed 166 of 276 pass attempts (60.1 percent) for 1,982 yards (7.2 YPA), nine touchdowns and three interceptions to go with 70 yards and another score on 21 carries over his nine starts.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Lands on IR
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The Falcons placed Penix (knee) on injured reserve Monday, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.
Atlanta is still evaluating Penix to determine the severity of the left knee injury he sustained in Sunday's 30-27 overtime loss to the Panthers, but with his move to IR, the second-year quarterback will miss at least four games. Kirk Cousins is slated to take over as the Falcons' new starting signal-caller in Penix's absence. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network previously relayed that Penix aggravated an existing bone bruise and knee sprain while also suffering damage to the ACL in his left knee. During his college career, the 25-year-old underwent surgeries to address ACL tears in his right knee in 2018 and 2020, and he also suffered season-ending shoulder injuries in 2019 and 2021.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Could miss additional games
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Penix (knee) is believed to have aggravated a previous knee injury during Sunday's 30-27 overtime loss to the Panthers, and there is concern that he could miss additional time, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.
Penix exited in the third quarter of Sunday's loss, and Kirk Cousins finished out the game in relief. Cousins filled in when Penix sat out Atlanta's 34-10 loss to the Dolphins due to a bone bruise in his knee Week 8. If Penix misses additional action as feared, Cousins would start Week 12 against the Saints. Penix is set for additional testing on his injury.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Suffers knee injury Sunday
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Penix suffered a knee injury during Sunday's contest against the Panthers, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Penix completed 13 of 16 passes for 175 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing one time for nine yards at the time he departed in the third quarter after getting twisted to the ground on an incompletion. Kirk Cousins will direct the Falcons offense for as long as Penix is sidelined.
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Falcons' Michael Penix Jr.: Sleeper QBs
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Penix is worth using if you need a quarterback in deeper leagues in Week 10 against the Colts in Berlin, and hopefully, he'll stay hot coming off his performance in Week 9 at New England when he scored 28.7 Fantasy points. That's only his third game this season with more than 20 Fantasy points, but Indianapolis has allowed four quarterbacks this season to score at least 24.7 points. I love what Penix did against the Patriots by leaning on Drake London, who caught three touchdowns, and that's something Penix should continue to do on a weekly basis.
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Falcons' Michael Penix Jr.: Week 10 Waiver Priority List
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Penix had a solid game at New England in Week 9 with 22-of-37 passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions, along with 19 rushing yards. He scored 28.7 Fantasy points, which is only the third time he's been over 20 Fantasy points this season, but he could build off that performance with a decent upcoming schedule against Indianapolis, Carolina, New Orleans and the Jets in the next four games. Penix is worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues in those matchups, and he should be added for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Cleared to play Week 9
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Penix (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at New England, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
WR Drake London (hip), WR Darnell Mooney (hamstring), TE Kyle Pitts (ankle) and LT Jake Matthews (ankle) also avoided game designations on the final injury report, bringing Atlanta's offense back to near-full strength ahead of a challenging matchup. Kirk Cousins' poor performance in Penix's stead last week likely answers questions about Penix being benched for performance reasons anytime soon.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Officially limited Wednesday
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Penix (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Penix also was limited all of last week due to a bone bruise in his knee before the Falcons made him inactive for this past Sunday's game against the Dolphins, allowing Kirk Cousins to direct the offense in a 34-10 loss. Prior to Wednesday's session, coach Raheem Morris told Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com that he feels "really good" about Penix, and the quarterback himself relayed to McElhaney afterward, "I feel like I am trending in the right direction." Whether or not that'll amount to a return to action for Penix on Sunday at New England remains to be seen, but he'll have two more opportunities to prove the health of his knee before Atlanta potentially tags him with a Week 9 designation.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Officially inactive Sunday
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Penix (knee) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Dolphins, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Penix was clearly hobbled in the waning minutes of last Sunday's loss at San Francisco. The eventual diagnosis was a bone bruise in his knee that limited him in practice during the entirety of Week 8 prep and left him questionable for Sunday's game. Adam Schefter of ESPN then reported Saturday morning that Kirk Cousins was likely to start in place of Penix, before reporting later Saturday that Cousins was trending toward leading the Falcons offense this weekend. Now that Penix has been deemed unavailable, Cousins will make his first start since Week 15 of last season, while the former has a good chance to return to action next Sunday in New England, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Set to miss Week 8
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Penix (knee) remains listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins but isn't on track to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A bone bruise in his knee held Penix to three limited practice sessions this week, though he was deemed questionable on Friday's final injury report, with head coach Raheem Morris expressing optimism that the second-year quarterback would be able to play. However, the tide turned on that outlook Saturday, and Schefter's sources indicate that Penix will miss Sunday's matchup versus Miami. As a result, Kirk Cousins is slated to start at quarterback for the first time this season. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Falcons are hopeful that Penix's absence will be contained to one week, with the second-year signal-caller having a "real chance" to be back on the field Nov. 2 at New England.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Questionable, but coach optimistic
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Penix (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, though Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Friday that he feels good about Penix's chances of playing, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Penix has had his practice reps limited by a knee injury that he sustained late in Atlanta's Week 7 loss to the 49ers. The second-year quarterback seems to be trending toward playing, but if Penix is unable to suit up, Kirk Cousins would be the next man up at home against the 1-6 Dolphins. A final determination on Penix's status may not come until 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Falcons' Michael Penix Jr.: QBs to Sit
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Keep an eye on Penix in practice this week since he's dealing with a foot injury, and hopefully he'll be able to play for Fantasy managers who need him in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. But those are the only formats I'd use him in Week 8 despite the matchup with the Dolphins. Penix has scored more than 16.6 Fantasy points just once in his past five outings, and he has four touchdowns and three interceptions over that span. And this should be a game where Bijan Robinson and even Tyler Allgeier carry the Falcons offense because Miami is so bad at stopping the run.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Upsets Bills on MNF
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Penix completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 250 yards and a touchdown while gaining six yards on two carries in Monday's 24-14 win over Buffalo.
Penix outdueled Bills star QB Josh Allen (57.7 completion percentage for 180 yards) on the national stage en route to the Falcons' third win of the campaign. Bijan Robinson stole the show on offense with 238 yards from scrimmage, but Atlanta's signal-caller also deserves praise for the upset victory. Penix led an impressive 14-play drive midway through the fourth quarter that ate up most of the remaining clock while deflating Buffalo's hopes of a comeback. The surging sophomore will look to build on a modest two-game win streak when the Falcons take on the 49ers in Week 7.
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Falcons' Michael Penix Jr.: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Penix responded well in Week 4 against Washington after two down games against Minnesota and Carolina, when he combined for 9.1 Fantasy points. He had 22.7 Fantasy points against the Commanders, and hopefully, he can perform at this level for the remainder of the season. The Falcons have a bye in Week 5, but Penix is worth adding now for 1 percent of your remaining FAB if you're planning ahead. Atlanta faces Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami, New England, Indianapolis, Carolina, New Orleans, the Jets, and Seattle to close out the Fantasy regular season, and Penix can be used as a low-end starter in most of those matchups.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Strong bounceback in Week 4 win
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Penix completed 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 34-27 win over the Commanders. He added two rushing yards on four carries.
After a rough Week 3 performance on the road in Carolina, Penix returned home in Week 4 and looked much more composed, topping his prior career high in yardage by one as he delivered his first multi-TD effort of 2025. The second-year QB hit Drake London for a five-yard score in the first quarter and Kyle Pitts for a seven-yard touchdown in the third, while both London and Bijan Robinson eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards, during a game in which Atlanta never trailed. Penix will get a week off for the Falcons' bye before facing a tough test in Week 6 against the Bills.
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Falcons' Michael Penix Jr.: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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For the rest of the season, I would make Penix the No. 1 quarterback to add for this week, but there are two concerns for him heading into Week 2. First and foremost, will he have his starting receivers available since Darnell Mooney (shoulder) was out in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, and Drake London (shoulder) was injured in that game. It appears like London will be fine, while Mooney is close to being ready, but it's something to monitor. And the Falcons play at Minnesota in Week 2, which should be a tough matchup. That said, Penix looked great against the Buccaneers with 27-of-42 passing for 298 yards and a touchdown and six carries for 21 yards and a touchdown. He's worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB in deeper leagues.
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Falcons' Michael Penix Jr.: Sleeper QBs
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I'm hopeful that Penix has a healthy Darnell Mooney (shoulder) for this game, and this could be a shootout against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay was No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks last year, and Penix attempted 73 passes in his final two starts as a rookie in 2024. That volume could be there every week for Penix, given the Falcons defense, and Kirk Cousins combined for 785 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception in two starts against the Buccaneers last season.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Well prepared for Week 1
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Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Thursday that Penix, who did not suit up for any preseason action, is "ready to go" for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Buccaneers, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Penix said, "I pride myself to make sure that each and every week I'm always ready come game day," though he acknowledged that "the biggest difference is the reps," or lack thereof, as he prepares for the fourth regular-season start of his NFL career. The presence of star playmakers Bijan Robinson and Drake London will assist Penix in his goal of hitting the ground running, and it's encouraging that Darnell Mooney (shoulder) has returned to practice in a limited capacity and seems to have a shot at playing Week 1. On the other hand, Atlanta's offensive line had looked like one of the team's major strengths the entire offseason, but with Kaleb McGary (leg) now done for the year and swing backup Storm Norton (ankle) out 6-to-8 weeks, third-stringer Elijah Wilkinson is expected to start at right tackle. The lack of reliable blindside protection will be a notable hurdle for the southpaw signal-caller to overcome Sunday and throughout the 2025 campaign.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Sitting out preseason finale
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Penix will not play in Friday's preseason finale against the Cowboys, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Penix and veteran backup Kirk Cousins will both sit out a third consecutive preseason game, with Falcons coach Raheem Morris opting to rest veteran starters until the regular season. Atlanta waived quarterback Emory Jones (concussion) with an injury designation Monday, per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site, leaving Easton Stick and new signee Ben DiNucci in position for preseason reps versus Dallas.
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Falcons' Michael Penix: Locked in as QB1
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Penix heads into training camp as Atlanta's undisputed starting quarterback, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Kirk Cousins presumably still wants to be traded, but that didn't stop him from attending spring practices and likely won't keep him out of training camp. The veteran is taking second-team reps now, after the Falcons averaged 32 points per game in Penix's three starts at the end of last season. Bijan Robinson scored two TDs in each of the three games, and Drake London had 352 yards and two TDs on 39 targets. Apart from the QB change and Ryan Neuzil replacing Drew Dalman at center, Atlanta's starting offense looks much the same as it did last summer. All of the team's projected 2025 starters were in Atlanta last offseason when offensive coordinator Zac Robinson installed his scheme.
