Falcons Make Tough Decision on Michael Penix Jr.

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons will lose quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to a knee injury, according to an official statement from the organization on Monday. Several outlets have reported that he sustained varying degrees of an injury to his left knee in Sunday’s Week 11 30-27 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers. 

This is what the Falcons released as an official statement: 

“Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a left-knee injury in Sunday’s game against Carolina. We are working through the medical process to determine the severity of the injury. He will be placed on the reserve/injured list and miss a minimum of four games. 

“With the move, Kirk Cousins will assume the starting quarterback role for the Falcons at this time.”

Penix will miss a minimum of four of the Falcons’ seven remaining games, but with the team sitting at 3-7 and the season slipping away, they will likely take the conservative approach with their young quarterback. There is a very real chance this injury designation will end his 2025 season. 

He was injured early in the second half on Sunday, and he led the Falcons' offense to 21 first-half points and a lead at the time he left the game. Penix completed 13-of-16 passes (81.3%) for 175 yards before his injury. 

On the season, Penix has completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 56.4 after making nine starts.  

Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins took over under center for the Falcons for the first time since throwing for 173 yards in the Falcons’ brutal 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins. That was his only start of the season, but he will be the starter for the team moving forward. 

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!

Going back over his last six starts, Cousins is 120-for-189 for 1,353 yards, one touchdown, nine interceptions, five fumbles, and the team has just one win. The veteran carries a dead cap hit of $40 million, per OverTheCap. 

The Falcons have a potential out of his contract in March of 2026, so this could prove to be a chance for him to audition for his future. 

Atlanta travels to New Orleans in Week 12 for a matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Kickoff in the game is set for 1 p.m.