Michael Penix Jr. Fantasy Stats

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said on Wednesday that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) had successful surgery on his knee on Tuesday, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Penix had full reconstructive surgery to fix a partially torn ACL in his left knee, which will keep him out for the rest of this season and possibly for the start of the 2026 season next fall. The 25-year-old second-year signal-caller is facing a nine-month recovery, which will force Atlanta to rethink its long-term plan at the QB position this offseason. This is Penix's third ACL reconstruction in his career after he had two knee surgeries in college. Kirk Cousins will start the rest of the year under center for the Falcons, but depending on how he finishes the season, the Falcons could opt out of the final two seasons of his four-year deal.

When the Atlanta Falcons spent a first-round pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) in the 2024 NFL Draft, approximately six weeks after signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, they signaled a commitment to getting the QB position right, even if the approach was untraditional. Less than two years later, Penix suffered a season-ending ACL tear, the third since his college days, and Cousins sits at 8-8 as the Falcons starter following a Week 12 win over the Saints in which he failed to top 200 passing yards for his third straight start. Neither Penix nor Cousins has looked like a long-term answer at the position, and with Penix's injury timeline now adding uncertainty to his status for the beginning of the 2026 season, Atlanta could once again need to address the quarterback room this offseason.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) does indeed need surgery that involves "full reconstruction" of his torn ACL and faces "at least" nine months of recovery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Penix Jr. suffered the injury during his team's Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The injury occurred in his left knee rather than his right, which is notable considering he tore his right ACL twice during his collegiate career. A nine-month recovery timeline from late November means Penix Jr.'s availability for the start of the 2026 season could be in question. For the remainder of 2025, Atlanta will likely turn to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has struggled across three games (one start) worth of action so far this season. Cousins profiles as a low-end fantasy QB2 heading into a Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is headed to Injured Reserve after aggravating a bone bruise and knee sprain from earlier this season, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Penix also has damage to his ACL, which could require a full knee reconstruction. The young lefty signal-caller will be forced to miss at least the next four games while on IR, but all signs are pointing to him missing the rest of the 2025 season as well. Veteran Kirk Cousins, who did not look very good in his one start in place of Penix earlier this year, will now be thrust into the starting role in Atlanta for potentially the rest of the year. Fantasy managers might want to temper expectations for Cousins, especially since he'll be without top receiver Drake London (knee) for at least a little while. If the 25-year-old Penix has full knee reconstruction, it's possible he won't be ready to roll for the start of the 2026 season next fall.

The knee injury that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) suffered during his team's Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers is "potentially season-ending," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that Penix Jr. "will be seeking a second opinion, but it is not encouraging." Knee troubles are particularly worrisome for Penix Jr.'s long-term outlook, as he suffered two ACL tears during his college career. If his 2025 season is indeed over, he will finish the year with 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions across nine games played. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins took over for Penix Jr. in Week 11 and would likely be Atlanta's starter for the remainder of the 2025 season. Cousins has struggled so far this year, completing 32 of 52 pass attempts for 250 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions across three games (one start). There should be more clarity around the exact nature of Penix Jr.'s injury in the coming days, but fantasy managers should prepare for Cousins to get the start in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints and beyond.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) aggravated the same knee injury that forced him to miss time earlier this season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The second-year quarterback had completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 175 yards before exiting Sunday's Week 11 loss against the Carolina Panthers. Rapoport notes that Penix is headed for additional testing, but the initial expectation is that he will miss time. That would leave Kirk Cousins in line to make his second start of the season next Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The veteran went just 6-for-14 passing with 48 yards in relief of Penix this week. He led zero touchdown drives but did get Atlanta in position for two fourth-quarter field goals.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris did not have an update on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) while addressing the media following Sunday's Week 11 loss against the Carolina Panthers. Morris did note that "there was a chance Penix could come back in the game, but [it] was not looking good," according to Baillie Burmaster of Atlanta News First. The head coach's comments seem to indicate that Penix may have been available in an emergency situation, but the team opted to play Kirk Cousins in a close divisional battle that went to overtime. The second-year quarterback will likely undergo additional testing on Sunday or Monday so that the team can gain more clarity on his status. He'll have seven days to get healthy before Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints. If he can't suit up next Sunday, Cousins would be in line to start his second game of the season. Whichever quarterback starts next week could be without wide receiver Drake London (knee), who exited in the waning minutes of Week 11 and was quickly ruled out.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's Week 11 contest against the Carolina Panthers. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had completed 13 of 16 passes for 175 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also rushed for nine yards. With Penix currently sidelined, Kirk Cousins has entered the game at quarterback. The veteran signal-caller will be tasked with preserving Atlanta's marginal lead in a tight divisional battle at home. The Falcons face the Saints next Sunday, so if Penix can't return today, he'll have seven days to rest and recover before his next game.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed just 12 of 28 passes in Week 10 for 177 yards, leaving him with a lowly 58.8 percent completion rate for the season. However, it was the fifth straight game with a touchdown pass, giving him an 8:1 TD:INT over that stretch. While the latter stat is notable, he could have a tough time continuing that trend on Sunday against the Panthers, which is a defense that is middle of the road against the pass and limited the lefty QB to 18-for-36 passing for 172 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions in this matchup back in Week 3. After being sacked three times last week, the 25-year-old will also now be without starting left guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle), and his favorite target, Drake London (illness/back), heads into the weekend questionable after limited sessions Thursday and Friday. In what should be a competitive game, the Falcons have Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to rely on as well, so it all adds up to Penix being a low-end QB2 on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s accuracy went kaput in Germany, completing just 12 of his 28 pass attempts for 177 yards in Sunday's 31-25 overtime loss to the Colts, which included one touchdown pass and no interceptions. However, he also lost a fumble and was sacked three times. The 25-year-old came into the contest with a 60.8 percent completion percentage. But after this performance, it now stands at 58.8 percent. That is the third-lowest in the league, only slightly better than Tennessee's Cam Ward, whose league-low rate stands at 57.6 percent. Although the second-year QB owns a sterling 8:1 TD:INT over his last five games, the left-hander is hard to trust for fantasy with such low completion rates and near-zero value added with his legs. Atlanta has lost four straight, but has winnable matchups coming up (vs. CAR, @ NOR, @NYJ). Kirk Cousins didn't make the case for a quarterback change in his lone start in Week 8 against the Dolphins, but if the Falcons continue this losing streak against those teams, Penix may find himself on the hot seat.