Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. required season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2024 draft, Penix received a second medical opinion before opting to head back to the operating table.
It will be his third ACL surgery. He tore his right ACL twice while in college in Indiana, and suffered two serious shoulder injuries.
“The one thing we say about Michael: He knows what it’s like to be battle-tested. He’s shown us that before,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday afternoon. “Last injury he had was ’21, I believe it was a shoulder. The last knee was in ’20. He’s done nothing but come back stronger every single opportunity he’s been given.
“The guy is going to come back stronger for us,” Morris continued. “This organization believes in him. His coaches believe in him. His guys believe in him. He’s going to come back stronger.”
Penix was injured Sunday in Atlanta’s 30-27 overtime loss to Carolina. Veteran Kirk Cousins replaced Penix and has been elevated to the starting job, with Easton Stick to move from the practice squad to the backup role.
The Falcons did not provide a timeline for his recovery or on-field availability for the 2026 season.
Atlanta (3-7) will attempt to halt a five-game losing streak on Sunday at New Orleans (2-8).
In addition to placing Penix on injured reserve, the Falcons signed fellow quarterback Kyle Trask to the practice squad. The team also designated inside linebacker Divine Deablo to return to practice from injured reserve.
Penix completed 13 of 16 passes for 175 yards before leaving the Sunday game. Cousins was 6 of 14 for 48 yards, with neither QB throwing a touchdown or an interception.
Morris said top wide receiver Drake London (knee) is out against the Saints.
Drafted eighth overall in 2024, Penix ends the season with nine starts. He completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine TDs and three picks.
Cousins, 37, started for the injured Penix in a 34-10 home loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. In three games this season, the four-time Pro Bowl selection has completed 32 of 52 passes for 250 yards with no TDs or interceptions.
Stick, 30, has completed 64% of his passes for 1,133 yards with three touchdowns in six career games (four starts) with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was elevated to the roster as a standard practice squad elevation for Atlanta’s Week 8 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Deablo, 27, has been sidelined with a fractured forearm sustained in a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 19. He has a fumble recovery and a half-sack in six games (all starts) this season.
–Field Level Media
