Adam Schefter Shares Devastating News on Quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

ATLANTA, GA – The Atlanta Falcons dropped a fifth-straight game in Week 11, but it may not even be the worst thing they lost on Sunday.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. left the game with a lower-body injury at the beginning of the second half and did not return. According to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Falcons could be without their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.

The insider said that Penix “suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Penix will be seeking a second opinion, but it is not encouraging.”

Penix appeared to grab his left knee after taking the hit from the Panther defender, the same one that he injured in the team’s Week 7 loss to the 49ers. Penix was down on his back and threw his helmet out of frustration.

The quarterback struggled with knee injuries in college, with ACL tears in both 2018 and 2020.

After struggling in the Falcons’ overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts last week, the second-year quarterback had been playing very well in this game before the injury. Penix 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.

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Raheem Morris was unable to provide any update on his status after the game, but he left the door open for the fact that backup quarterback Kirk Cousins to be the starter in Week 12.

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.

Sunday was a continuation of some of those struggles. Cousins completed just 6-of-14 passes for 48 yards, but several drops hurt him and this offense on Sunday.

The overall output of the unit was dramatically diminished in the second half. They accounted for just 87 yards of offense and scored just six points as the Falcons allowed the Panthers to overtake them in the loss.

The Falcons also lost wide receiver Drake London late in the game to a knee injury, and he could also miss an indefinite period of time. The wideout had seven catches for 119 yards. Morris provided no update for London after the game, either.

After the loss in Week 11, the Falcons dropped to 3-7 on the season, but it could get much worse for them in the coming weeks if these two are unable to suit up.