As there had been injuries dealt to the Atlanta Falcons, one that has concerned fans is the one to quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who had been put on injured reserve. With some inklings that the Falcons signal-caller would be out for the season, those fears are now realized.
According to Wednesday's statement by Atlanta itself, Penix “will undergo” surgery for a partially torn ACL that will have him out for the rest of the season.
“After further medical evaluation, it has been determined Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will undergo season-ending surgery for a partially torn ACL,” the statement read.
One important note from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is that Penix's timeline has him for the start of next season, saying that the team “will have a secure backup plan.”
“The timeline for Michael Penix's ACL surgery puts him right up against the start of the 2026 season,” Rapoport wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Nine months from now is mid-August. At the least, Atlanta will have to have a secure backup plan in case all does not go as anticipated.”
Falcons look to move forward without Michael Penix Jr. this season
While Kirk Cousins will be taking over for Penix on the Falcons, the original timeline of events for Penix's injury first came on Monday when the 25-year-old was placed on injured reserve on Monday. With a minimum of four games missed, the team wouldn't know the absolute severity until a second opinion, which finally came on Wednesday with the season-ending news.
“Obviously, it hurts your heart when your quarterback goes down,” Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “Anybody in your football team, any of you guys, that's definitely always one of those things that's going to be harmful.”
“But you got to recenter, you got to focus,” Morris continued. “You got to go with the next-man-up mentality. You got to lean on other people, other places, to be able to go find a way to get those things done.”
Like Morris said, there are still games to be played as the team is 3-7, with the team's next game on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
