Falcons Expected Decision on Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins vs. Dolphins

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a bone bruise to his knee on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers. He was limited this week in practice, and the Falcons have all but made a decision on his status for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins, according to a report from Adam Schefter.

"ESPN Sources: Falcons QB Kirk Cousins is 'highly likely' to start Sunday’s game vs. the Dolphins as Michael Penix recovers from a bone bruise to his knee. Penix was limited at practice all week and Cousins worked with the first-team offense, gearing up to start Sunday," Schefter reported on X.

ESPN Sources: Falcons QB Kirk Cousins is “highly likely” to start Sunday’s game vs. the Dolphins as Michael Penix recovers from a bone bruise to his knee.

Penix was limited at practice all week and Cousins worked with the first-team offense, gearing up to start Sunday. pic.twitter.com/790BrBoTBe
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2025

If Cousins starts as expected, it will be his first start since he was benched after 14 games as the starting quarterback in 2024. Cousins reportedly injured his elbow and shoulder in a Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He tried to play through the injury, but the results were disastrous.

Coming into the game, the Falcons were 6-3 and had a 2.5-game lead in the NFC South. He had thrown for 17 touchdowns against seven touchdowns in those nine games. After the 6-3 start, the Falcons went on a four-game losing streak in which Cousins threw zero touchdowns against eight interceptions.

Cousins was benched the next week after another anemic showing against the Las Vegas Raiders, even though the Falcons got the win.

Penix has expectedly had his struggles during his first full season as a starter. A game off may not only help him get fully healthy, but also clear his head for the second half of the season.

The Miami Dolphins are one of the NFL's worst teams. They are 27th in total and passing defense, 29th in rushing defense, but they are No. 8 in scoring defense at just 20.0 points per game.

The Falcons have moved the ball well as the NFL's No. 7 team in total defense, but they have struggled to score points, ranking 28th at 18.3 points per game.

Cousins is arguably the top backup quarterback in the NFL; he's certainly the highest-paid. The Falcons should be able to lean on a strong running game and a conservative approach from Cousins to beat the Dolphins on Sunday.

The Falcons weren't willing to let Cousins walk in the offseason for nothing, feeling he was more valuable as a backup than anything they could get in return for him via trade.

It looks like they're going to get a chance to find out if they were right on Sunday vs. the Miami Dolphins.