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Michael Penix Jr.’s status remains up in the air for Sunday’s matchup with Dolphins

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 5:45 PM ET

We’ve reached the middle of the week, and there’s still no clear answer on who will start at quarterback for the Falcons on Sunday. Head coach Raheem Morris called Michael Penix Jr. “the ultimate tough guy,” but emphasized that “the organization would not put him in harm’s way.”

Penix suffered a bone bruise in Atlanta’s 20-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, a game in which he was under constant pressure. If he can’t go, the Falcons will finally make use of their $180 million backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, who should be able to find success against a Dolphins defense that ranks near the bottom of the league in both yards allowed and points per game.

Other notables on the injury report include Storm Norton — whose 21-day window to return from Injured Reserve has officially opened — along with Darnell Mooney, Tyler Allgeier, Zach Harrison, Jake Matthews, Jalon Walker, Divine Deablo, and Billy Bowman Jr.

A couple injury updates here in Flowery Branch today:
-Designated o-lineman Storm Norton to return to practice from the reserve/injured list. He would’ve been a full participant today
-Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is among those limited.
-Nonparticipants: Deablo, Walker, Bowman pic.twitter.com/svJuTIMx00

— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) October 22, 2025

Storm Norton practicing in full is a fantastic sign moving forward. It’ll be interesting to see how the Falcons handle their situation at right tackle from here, because while Elijah Wilkinson was dreadful against the 49ers, he more than held his own through the first five games of the season.

Meanwhile, Divine Deablo is likely headed to Injured Reserve after fracturing his forearm against San Francisco, a major blow to one of the leaders of Atlanta’s defense. Jalon Walker and Billy Bowman Jr. also did not participate in Wednesday’s practice after missing last Sunday’s game, which doesn’t bode well for their availability against the Dolphins. That could leave the Falcons very short-handed for their matchup against Miami.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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