The Falcons are turning the page fast after Sunday’s 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, and they’ve already made the call under center for Week 3.
Atlanta will start Michael Penix Jr. against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday.
The decision comes with the Falcons still sorting through a quarterback situation that never settled after Cooper Rush and Jack Strand both saw action Sunday but failed to top 100 passing yards. With a short week ahead, Atlanta needed an answer quickly.
Penix had been expected to battle Tua Tagovailoa for the job during training camp, but his return has been slowed as he works back into playing shape following an ACL injury. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, is nearing a return from the oblique injury he suffered just days before the season opener against Pittsburgh. It’s still unclear whether he’ll be active as the backup against Green Bay.
“I think Mike’s looked good,” Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said of Penix recently. “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.”
Penix’s last full run as a starter came last season, when he made nine starts, threw for 1,982 yards and nine touchdowns, and then saw his year end with the ACL injury.
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For a player taken 120th in the draft, that kind of early production is notable, especially when hes already ranking 15th among edge defenders in pass-rush win rate after two games. The Packers are always looking for help up front, and Dennis-Sutton has at least opened the door to a bigger role by outplaying several rookies selected ahead of him. [Read more 🡒]
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Packers Suddenly Face A Receiver Problem Bigger Than Week 3
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The immediate concern is Week 3 against the Falcons, where Reed is expected to miss the game and the Packers may have to adjust on the fly. Beyond that, the bigger issue is how long Green Bay could be without him, because this is the kind of injury that can ripple through a passing game well past one Sunday. [Read more 🡒]