The Atlanta Falcons took a breath of relief when Michael Penix Jr. stepped on the turf in Week 3. With 256 yards and a 35-14 win, he showed exactly what the offense was missing. The Falcons gained 498 yards, and the offense scored 17 first-half points, one more than it had scored in the first two games combined. Then Week 5 came and showed how fragile that fix is. Late in the fourth quarter against Baltimore, a pass rusher drove Penix into the turf. He missed one play, came back, and then sat out overtime. 

Tua Tagovailoa filled in but couldn’t save the night, and the Falcons lost 30-23. Interestingly, now, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that the Falcons will be going with Penix in Week 6.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X that the third-year quarterback did not miss Wednesday’s practice session despite sustaining a rib injury in Week 5. Shortly afterwards, he reported that the Falcons HC told the reporters that Penix is “feeling better and will likely start” Week 6, given they don’t stumble anywhere. 

Falcons’ reporter Tori McElhaney also shared Stefanski’s stance that Penix should start Sunday against the Chicago Bears “as long as everything goes accordingly.” 

For now, the young quarterback will be limited in practice. Penix had an MRI on Monday, but the team is keeping the results private as of now. 

Apart from Penix, the Falcons don’t have a quarterback they could trust. In August, when Stefanski started Tagovailoa in the preseason opener, and it resulted in a 27-7 loss. Again, when he was given a chance in Week 5, he hit Drake London but that ended up in the hands of Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton that sealed the 30-23 loss. 

But more than that, Stefanski’s confidence in Penix runs quite deep. In January, he said Penix is a player who can layer the ball and push it to all areas of the field.  

After Sunday’s game against the Ravens, the 26-year-old quarterback said he could have played if the Falcons had the ball first in overtime. Then the Ravens ate up more than seven minutes, and Penix’s pain started getting worse. 

“I will be ready to go next week because I have sat out enough in my career,” Penix assured following Sunday’s game. “I am going to do everything I can in the training room. Obviously, I take my health very seriously so that is always going to come first, but I will work my tail off to make sure I am back out there on that field.”

Atlanta brought in Penix with high hopes as an eighth overall pick. While he certainly showed his potential, injuries are becoming an alarming problem. A partially torn ACL in Week 11 last year ended his 2025 season after nine games, in which he threw 1,982 yards and nine touchdowns. He then missed the first two games of 2026.  

The Falcons cannot afford to lose him again. They are 2-3, and their upcoming opponents bring a high-powered offense. For now, the depth chart lists Penix first, Tagovailoa second, and Cooper Rush third.