After two rough weeks of quarterback play, the Falcons are turning back to Michael Penix Jr. for their Week 3 Thursday night matchup with the Green Bay Packers, and Atlanta’s 0-2 start makes the move feel less like a tweak and more like a reset.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is getting another shot to show the Falcons that he can be the long-term answer under center. It’s also a chance for him to prove he can stay healthy and bring stability to an offense that already has plenty of talent around him.
That evaluation begins Thursday night, even if it won’t be settled there.
Penix is stepping into a new setup with a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator in Tommy Rees, who will be working with him in a regular-season game for the first time. Rees said last week: "I think Mike's looked good," Rees said of Penix last week.
"He's been really going here for a few weeks now. I didn't know Mike pre-injury very well, except from afar.
But he looks sharp, moving well. I think he has confidence in it.
Obviously, his arm talents is easily seen. But in terms of the lower-body movement and his ability to play quick and do those things, I think Mike's progressed really nicely."
The Packers may not be the easiest measuring stick. Their defense has been strong through two games, and Penix still has to rebuild timing and chemistry with new pieces like Jahan Dotson and 2026 third-round pick Zachariah Branch. He also needs time to settle into Rees’ system, which should be built to take advantage of Penix’s arm.
Still, Atlanta has already seen enough from him to know what the ceiling can look like.
Through 14 games over his first two seasons, Penix has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,757 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. His career passer rating is 85.8. Most importantly, he had two games in 2025 where he looked like the franchise quarterback the Falcons hoped they were drafting.
Now he gets another chance to show that version of himself.
If Rees opens things up, Penix has the talent to make the offense work. He also has the talent to be the solution Atlanta has been chasing at quarterback since it used a top-10 pick on him after signing Kirk Cousins to a massive contract.
And with fellow 2024 draft classmates Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels missing games because of injury, while Drake Maye and Bo Nix have had some early-season struggles, Penix suddenly has a chance to climb back into the conversation from that quarterback class.
For the Falcons, though, the bigger question is simpler: can he finally put the quarterback debate to bed?
If he comes out of this turn looking sharp and playing like the player Atlanta drafted, Thursday night could be the start of his case that the Falcons have found their answer.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Head Into Packers Game With A Very Different Look
Thursday night brings a different kind of test for Atlanta as it heads to Green Bay with Michael Penix Jr. set to start for the Falcons. Around the league, injuries are already reshaping Week 3, with quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart among the players expected to miss games, while teams such as the Colts, Panthers and Saints have also been forced to shuffle their rosters with players landing on injured reserve.
For Atlanta, the challenge is more immediate and a little more local, since the games injury reports have already thinned out the available options on both sides of the ball. With several players listed as out or questionable, the Falcons are headed into a short-week prime-time matchup carrying a very different look than the one they might have expected a few days ago, and how that list settles before kickoff could matter just as much as the quarterback change. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Finally Have The QB Depth They Need Vs Packers
The Falcons are getting a little healthier behind center at a time when they could use the insurance. Michael Penix Jr. has been named the starter for the upcoming game, and Kevin Stefanski said Tua Tagovailoa is trending in the right direction to be available as the backup in Week 3 after missing the first two games with an oblique injury. It is a notable shift from the opening stretch, when Cooper Rush filled the backup role.
For Atlanta, the timing matters as much as the depth chart. Having a second quarterback available changes the feel of game day for a team that wants more stability at the position, especially with Penix set to take over under center. The final check on Tagovailoa still matters, but the Falcons are at least moving toward a cleaner setup than they had to start the season. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Are Betting Nick Folk Can Stop A Bigger Problem
The Falcons are sticking with Nick Folk for now, even after the veteran kicker missed field goals in each of the first two games of the 2026 season. Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said the focus remains on Folks experience and the basics, with the team preferring to work through the issue by tightening up fundamentals and technique rather than making a change this early.
For Atlanta, the decision is as much about stability as it is about faith in a proven kicker. The next step is giving Folk a chance to settle back into his rhythm as the Falcons turn their attention to the Green Bay Packers, where every point could matter if the kicking game remains in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]