Michael Penix Injury Update from Ian Rapoport Confirms Atlanta Falcons' Worst Fear

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons will lose quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to an ACL injury in his left knee that he sustained in Sunday’s Week 11 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The team confirmed that the second-year quarterback will undergo surgery that will end his season, and Raheem Morris said the surgery will happen “sooner rather than later.” Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins will step in and play out the rest of the regular season as the full-time starting quarterback since being benched in Week 16 of the 2024 season.

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NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the injury will require “at least” nine months of recovery, which would place his return around mid-August. This would be an exceedingly difficult time to come back, but any setback would push him back into the 2026 regular season. They will “have to have a secure backup plan in case all does not go as anticipated.”

“[We] don’t have a timetable,” Morris said on Wednesday. “Obviously everybody’s different… [But] it'd be hard for me to say no [about Penix being ready for Week 1 of 2026] right now. I got a lot of confidence in Michael.”

Penix reportedly sought secondary opinions on what his injury would require before settling on the surgery option.

The young quarterback was injured early in the second half after leading 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.

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On the season, Penix has completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 56.4 after making nine starts.

Backup quarterback Kirk 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. Going back over his last six starts, Cousins is 120-for-189 for 1,353 yards, one touchdown, nine interceptions, five fumbles, and the team has just one win.

Atlanta travels to New Orleans in Week 12 for a matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Kickoff in the game is set for 1 p.m.