Michael Penix Jr. is set to make his first in-game return from a partially torn ACL on Thursday night, with the Falcons quarterback lined up to start against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Penix said Tuesday that the final green light came after he pushed his knee “it to the limit” in a workout and saw it “responded good.” That was the point where he decided he was ready for Week 3.
He had already said he was “close” to returning for the Falcons’ 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, but Penix made clear that his standard was always about health first.
“Being healthy is what I was targeting,” Penix explained, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I was never no week-to-week thing.
It was being healthy. Whenever I felt like I can go out there, like I said, get out of all that soreness and get stronger each and every day, that’s what it was always about.
Once I felt healthy, it felt like I was ready to go.”
Penix also said the first two weeks simply weren’t enough for him to trust that he was where he needed to be.
“I’m never gonna sit out if I’m healthy,” Penix added. “I knew I wasn’t where I needed to be the first two weeks and now I feel like I’m where I want to be, so that’s why you’ll see me up this week.”
The Falcons had hoped backup Cooper Rush could steady things while Penix recovered, but ESPN stats showed Rush finished Week 2 last among qualified players with a 5.2 adjusted QBR.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday that the Falcons want to give Penix “the rest of the year as the starter” so they can “get a full assessment of him before charting the course at quarterback for 2027 and beyond.” Penix, a 2024 first-round pick, now moves back into the spotlight, with his health over the rest of the season still to be seen.
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The pass rush has been one of Green Bays most watched areas early this season, and rookie edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton has started to give the defense a timely boost. Against the Jets, he put together a disruptive afternoon with six tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hits, the kind of activity that shows up on the stat sheet and in the pressure Washington? No, in the pressure he helped create on the opposing quarterback.
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 🡒]
Falcons Secondary Just Lost Its Biggest Safety Net Before Packers Game
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Atlanta filled the open roster spot by promoting defensive lineman Zach Harrison from the practice squad, but that move does not replace what Terrell gives the back end. For the Packers, it is the kind of development that can alter how a defense chooses to play on the perimeter and in the middle of the field, especially against an opponent that no longer has its biggest safety net available. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]