The Atlanta Falcons' season may be officially over, as Michael Penix Jr. will have to undergo surgery on his ACL, meaning he won't be back on the field until near the start of next season. For now, Kirk Cousins will be the starter moving forward, but the Falcons need depth behind him just in case something goes wrong, and they've signed a former quarterback from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Ari Meirov of The33rdTeamFB.
“The Falcons are signing former Bucs QB Kyle Trask to their practice squad,” Meirov wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Eason Stick spent time on the practice squad this season, and he will most likely be the backup to Cousins, with Trask coming in as the QB3 if need be. Trask was a second-round pick for the Buccaneers and has played in seven games for them since 2021.
The Falcons seem to have everything figured out to finish this season, but they will have even more shuffling to do at the quarterback position when the offseason arrives. With Penix most likely missing training camp next season, they'll need a quarterback for assurance, and they may have to play in a few games to start the year.
Penix has a history of ACL injuries, as he tore his right ACL twice in college. This will be his fifth season-ending injury in eight seasons between college and the NFL.
“He's dealt with it, but what we know of Mike and all the stuff that we've done from our research, from all the injuries he has come back stronger,” head coach Raheem Morris said. “We feel really confident that this will be the same way. I have no doubt that Mike's going to attack this rehab and attack all things that can get done to be ready for his team and ready to go as soon as possible.”
After coming into the season with high expectations, the Falcons are now 3-7, and it looks like they won't have a shot at the playoffs once again.
