Seahawks likely to face familiar enemy against Falcons with Michael Penix out

One of the Seattle Seahawks' upcoming opponents will have a different look on offense when the two teams meet in a couple weeks.

What had been suspected is now confirmed. The Atlanta Falcons announced today that second-year quarterback Michael Penix has been diagnosed with a partial tear in his left ACL. He'll undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the 2025 season.

It's the left knee for Penix, not the right one that he had to have surgically repaired twice during his college career. He's expected to be back in time for the start of training camp in 2026.

Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix — Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) looks to pass in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

This means veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely be under center when the Seattle Seahawks face the Falcons in Atlanta on December 7th.

It adds yet another twist to what has been a strange story ever since Cousins chose to sign with the Falcons in free agency in March of 2024. The deal was valued at up to $180 million dollars over four years, with $100 million of it guaranteed.

At the time, it appeared to be a bold move by Atlanta, banking heavily on a proven signal-caller, but taking a risk that then 35 year old had enough left in the tank to perform like a franchise quarterback.

And then, the Falcons stunned the world hardly a month later by selecting the former University of Washington star Penix with the 8th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The prevailing thought over this past offseason was that the Falcons would try and trade Cousins, and there were some reports that he requested they do just that. But doing so would have strapped the team with a $75 million dead cap hit in 2025 and another $35 million in dead cap a year from now.

Now, the Falcons are surely glad they held on to the veteran, but it might be too late to reverse their falling fortune. After what seemed like a solid start to the season Atlanta has now lost 5 straight games to fall to 3-7, dropping to third place in the NFC south division.

In his limited action in 2025, Cousins has completed 61.5 pct of his passes for 250 yards, recording neither a touchdown pass or interception to this point. He has a career record of 2-5 against the Seahawks over the course of his career in Washington, Minnesota and Atlanta.

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