How Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. Made a Statement, and History, After 312-Day Absence

Michael Penix Jr. got his “welcome back” moment in the Atlanta Falcons’ Thursday Night Football triumph over the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 24.

After almost a full calendar year, 312 days to be exact, the Falcons quarterback returned as the starter after going down with a partially torn ACL last November, his third knee injury dating back to college. He replaced NFL veteran backup Cooper Rush, who started the first two games, both losses, and had underwhelming performances. Rush was the emergency third string, and Tua Tagovailoa was the backup.

With Penix under center, the Falcons (1-2) beat the Packers (1-2) 35-14. It was Atlanta’s season-high point total as visiting Falcons fans chanted “ATL” at Lambeau Stadium as their team lit up the scoreboard

Thursday added to Atlanta’s NFL primetime game brilliance, making their record 8-3 in night games since 2024.

Penix’s night didn’t start gloriously by any means.

In his first drive, he tossed an interception in the middle of coverage to Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney, while attempting to connect with wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

“That comes with the game,” Penix told reporters after the game. “The greatest quarterbacks out there throw an interception, but that’s not something you want to be proud of. I know I’m going to go back and look at the film and find a way to avoid that. I do feel like the read was there, I just got to put the ball on the receiver — I led him too much. With a great safety like they have over there, they’re going to make that play every time.”

But Penix recovered.

He finished the game 18-for-25 for 256 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception, with a 101.4 quarterback rating. That includes a stretch of nine straight completions.

“That game was far from perfect,” the Falcons quarterback said. “That’s what we’re striving for each and every day. We’re going to try to come back even better.”

Drake London was his go-to-guy, making nine catches on 10 targets for a career-high 194 yards. Seven different receivers caught passes.

Penix’s lone touchdown pass came on a five-yard throw to tight end Austin Hooper to take a 17-7 halftime lead. The lefty took advantage of short and medium range passes, with a few downfield strikes here and there, as Atlanta relied on a rushing attack that accrued 242 yards, led by running back Bijan Robinson, who led the Falcons with 194 yards on the ground.

“He’s the definition of “resilient.” He really is,” London said of Penix. “To come back from that many injuries and have that confidence to come out here on Thursday night, that’s ‘MP’ himself.”

Now sitting at 3,013 career passing yards, the 26-year-old crossed the 3,000-yard threshold through 13 starts, the fewest by any Atlanta quarterback in franchise history, per Falcons senior reporter Will McFadden.

After months of quarterback purgatory, Penix is trying to solidify himself as the answer as Atlanta’s signal caller of the present and future.

The Falcons invested the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in the third-year NFL quarterback, but this season may be his final shot to prove himself in Atlanta.

Atlanta’s brass have already attended college football games featuring top quarterback prospects for the 2028 draft. First-year president of football Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham didn’t draft Penix, so don’t assume that they are loyal to the former Indiana University and University of Washington star.

Penix continues his comeback tour as Atlanta’s starting quarterback in a crucial NFC South road game against heated rival, the New Orleans Saints, for the Oct. 5 edition of Monday Night Football at Caesars Superdome.

“Tonight is something you can build on,” Atlanta head coach Kevin Stefanski evaluated Penix.

The Saints game will be Penix’s second of three consecutive opportunities to perform on primetime, with the Baltimore Ravens coming to Atlanta on Oct. 11 for Sunday Night Football.

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