Michael Penix Jr. has already endured setbacks with two separate torn ACLs in College and a torn ACL in his left knee during the 2025 season, which brought his season to a halt. Now, his return has hit another roadblock. Kevin Stefanski named Tua Tagovailoa the starter for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving Penix to wait a little longer for his return. And perhaps no one captured where he stands better than Penix himself.
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Penix told Stefanski, “I’m not where I want to be right now,” according to ESPN’s Atlanta NFL reporter Marc Raimondi.
While Stefanski has been pleased with Penix’s progress, the quarterback seems to not have reached the point where Falcons feel comfortable putting him back into game action. With Tagovailoa taking the starter role, Stefanski announced Monday that Penix will be inactive, and Cooper Rush will serve as the backup. Currently, Penix is cleared for full football activities in late August and will return to 11-on-11 work.
“Of course, Mike just getting back to 11-on-11, wanted to make sure we gave him an opportunity in these practices, and we did,” Stefanski said Monday. “But feel strongly about our decision with everything, all the information available to us.”
Noticing Raimondi’s comments, for Penix, the goal must be to regain full football readiness rather than forcing a return before he is prepared after losing the QB battle. Penix’s absence, which was also significant, considering what he had established before the injury.
The former Washington standout started nine games for Atlanta in 2025, completing 166 of 276 passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and only three interceptions. His 88.5 passer rating showed that he has marked himself as a legit option in the Falcons’ offense.
His efficiency was notable. The quarterback also produced 2,719 passing yards in his first 12 career starts, the most among quarterbacks drafted in the previous two years at that point. NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe also shared his perspective after the announcement of the starter.
“Talked about this on Insiders last week — not rushing Michael Penix Jr. is a huge factor in Tua Tagovailoa being named Week 1 starter. Penix only 2 weeks of full 11-on-11 practice. It was too soon. Tua improved in the last 2 weeks after an early rocky play. He holds fort down… for now,” wrote Cameron Wolfe on X.
The injury changed the equation entering Stefanski’s first season in Atlanta. Penix was not able to take part in preseason action, while Tagovailoa received valuable repetitions during the evaluation process. Stefanski said the decision was based on an “all-encompassing” evaluation that considered the quarterbacks’ work dating back to April.
Tagovailoa now has the opportunity to establish himself as Atlanta’s starter, entering the season with 76 career regular-season starts and a 44-32 record, along with 18,166 passing yards, 120 touchdowns, and 59 interceptions.
Stefanski has not provided a timetable for when Penix could become active or clarified what the QB hierarchy will look like once he is ready.
That uncertainty leaves Penix with something to prove once he returns. He knows his own recovery is not complete yet. The Falcons’ quarterback story is therefore unlikely to end with the Week 1 decision.