The Falcons have announced that Michael Penix Jr. will be their starting quarterback for the upcoming game against the Packers, which is set for Thursday. This news was shared by the team on Monday.
This decision comes after Atlanta’s rough start to the season, where they lost both their opening games—first to the Steelers and then, in a rather disheartening fashion, to the Panthers with a score of 34-3 in their home opener. The offense has really struggled, failing to execute any plays in the red zone during those matchups, which is, I think, quite concerning.
Penix had surgery last November after tearing his ACL in Week 11 and subsequently missed the final seven games of the season. Fortunately, he was cleared for full practice last month, which is good to hear.
There were reports from ESPN that indicated Penix might be ready to play against Green Bay, but when head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed reporters earlier on Monday, he didn’t confirm whether the young quarterback would actually take the field.
“I’ll let you know,” he mentioned. “I plan to give an update once I’ve had a chance to talk to the players and go through everything. I don’t have an update at the moment. But I’m in constant communication with Mike and all our guys, so we’ll sort it out this week.”
When asked about the possibility of Penix playing, Stefanski chose not to comment further, emphasizing that he needs to speak with his players first.
Penix had hoped to start the season opener but ultimately decided he wasn’t ready to face the Steelers.
“I just told [head coach Kevin Stefanski] I’m not where I want to be right now,” Penix stated to reporters on September 7. “I want to be fully prepared so I can help the team win games. I’m really close—just about there.”
The Falcons have been juggling not only Penix’s recovery but also managing the situation with Tua Tagovailoa, who has been sidelined due to an oblique injury he sustained right before the first week of games. It’s definitely a lot to handle.
