Atlanta’s quarterback room has seen major developments in two brutal weeks. After a 0-2 start that saw the Atlanta Falcons become the only team in the league without a single red-zone appearance, Michael Penix Jr. has been handed the keys back. And he made it clear that this job isn’t changing hands again anytime soon.

“Being healthy was what I’ve been targeting. It was never no week-to-week thing. It was being healthy. Whenever I felt like I can go out there, as I said, get out of all that soreness and get stronger each and every day, that’s what it’s always about.

“So once I felt healthy, it felt like I was ready to go; that’s when I pulled the trigger. For me, I’ve been playing this game since I was five years old, like since a kid, I’ve been loving this sport. So I’m never gonna sit out if I’m healthy.”

During a press conference posted on the Atlanta Falcons YT channel, Penix shared that he is preparing for his 2026 debut against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. The Falcons have officially named him their starter for Week 3, ending his wait to return from the ACL injury he sustained in November 2025, which sidelined him for the final seven games of the last season.

At the same time, while Penix was sidelined, Tua Tagovailoa won the Week 1 starting job. However, just before the game, Tua suffered an oblique strain in practice and was sidelined. Cooper Rush then started both Week 1 and Week 2.

Rush also suffered some back spasms but was healthier during Week 1. He threw three turnovers, one fumble, 2 INTs in a 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers that got him benched in the third quarter for undrafted rookie Jack Strand.

And now, with the Falcons sitting at 0-2, Penix is getting his first start of 2026.

“So it was like, I knew I wasn’t where I needed to be the first two weeks. And now I feel like I’m where I wanna be. So that’s why you see me up this week,” Penix added.

Penix was medically cleared for 11-on-11 work before the preseason finale and was progressing well, but he admitted that he was not yet where he wanted to be. The QB wanted to reach 100% before returning, especially after feeling he had come back too early from previous knee injuries in college.

But the return won’t be so easy for Penix considering Atlanta’s offense, which failed to reach the red zone in both games. Penix’s return is meant to fix that failure, not serve as a stopgap while Tagovailoa recovers.

After watching Tagovailoa sidelined and Rush struggle through a winless start, Penix is making clear that health was always the only thing that mattered to him. For a team looking for stability at quarterback position, that’s exactly the certainty the franchise needed heading into Thursday night in Green Bay.

The Falcons have not reached the playoffs since 2017, which is the second-longest drought after the New York Jets in the NFL. This creates more pressure on Penix, as he is not only a returning QB but the team’s only hope of entering the playoffs.