Falcons Name Michael Penix Jr. Week 3 Starting QB

Michael Penix Jr. will get the nod for Week 3, per a team announcement. Signs pointed to Atlanta’s Thursday night contest being a logical target in this case, making today’s news little surprise. After failing to take a snap in the red zone for the first two games of the season, the Falcons will certainly aim for improved QB play moving forward.

With Penix and Tua Tagovailoa both sidelined again on Sunday, Cooper Rush started under center once more. The veteran struggled against Carolina, completing 10 of 17 pass attempts for 86 scoreless yards. Rush was also intercepted twice during the 34-3 loss. Atlanta turned to undrafted rookie Jack Strand to close out the game, but he was also picked off and sacked twice.

“I think Mike’s looked good,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees recently said (via the team’s website) when speaking about Penix’s progress in recovery from a partially torn ACL. “He’s been really going here for a few weeks now. I didn’t know Mike pre-injury very well, except from afar. But he looks sharp, moving well. I think he has confidence in it.”

Tagovailoa was named Atlanta’s Week 1 starter before a back ailment left him unable to play for the first two weeks of the year. His future with the Falcons has been called into question, especially given the possibility of Penix returning to the field before him. That has now proven to be the case, although Stefanski said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic) Tagovailoa has been making progress of his own lately.

While Tagovailoa joined Atlanta on a low-cost deal following his Falcons release, Penix has the potential to remain in place beyond 2026. A fifth-year option decision will need to be made in the latter’s case next offseason. With just 12 starts to his name, Penix will aim to deliver a run of durability and consistent play with a new Atlanta regime in place. The former top-10 pick sports a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12:6 and a passer rating of 85.8 through his first two seasons.

A step forward would of course be welcomed by all involved. In near term, it would help a Falcons offense which saw several members receive big-money extensions this past offseason. From a big-picture perspective, it would also increase Penix’s chances of receiving a lengthy opportunity atop the depth chart. His 2026 debut will come as the Falcons begin a run of three consecutive primetime games.