The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., will be out for the rest of the season due to a left knee injury. The team shared that Penix will need surgery to fix a partially torn ACL.
Penix was placed on injured reserve earlier this week as the Falcons looked into the details of his knee problem. After talking with another doctor, the decision was made that surgery was the best way to help him recover.
This is not the first time Penix, who is 25 years old, has had a season cut short because of an injury. During his time in college and the NFL, he has faced five season-ending injuries. He previously tore his right ACL twice while playing college football.
Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris spoke about Penix at a recent news conference, saying, “We know he’s been through tough times before, and he’s always come back stronger. He’s shown us that.”
Morris also mentioned Penix’s past injuries, including a shoulder injury in 2021 and a knee injury in 2020. He emphasized Penix’s determination, recalling Penix saying before to “check his EKG.” Morris added, “He’s going to come back stronger for us. This organization believes in him, his coaches believe in him, his guys believe in him, and he’s going to come back strong for us.”
Penix’s most recent game was against the Carolina Panthers, where he left in the third quarter during an overtime loss with a score of 30-27. In his second NFL season, he completed just over 60% of his passes, gaining 1,982 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Falcons chose Penix as the No. 8 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft last year. This happened even after they had signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract during the same off-season. With Penix now unable to play, Cousins will step in as the team’s starting quarterback.
Cousins, who is 37, has played in three games this season, starting in one. In that start, he has a record of 0-1, completing about 61.5% of his passes for 250 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Cousins is set to start his second game of the season against the New Orleans Saints.
