ATLANTA — A struggling Atlanta Falcons offense in desperate need of improved production at quarterback will have Michael Penix Jr. make his first start in Thursday night’s game at Green Bay.
Penix’s arm strength made him the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He has been cautious in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season.
He said Wednesday there are “just a couple technical things that I want to hit, some goals that I have, that I want to achieve” before playing in a game.
Very little has gone well for an offense that has scored a combined 16 points in two losses, but the running game remains the biggest reason to believe a recovery is possible. Bijan Robinson ran for 72 yards and Brian Robinson added 51 yards against Carolina. The Falcons averaged 4.9 yards per carry while rushing for 157 yards.
Stefanski has been supportive of Penix’s recovery schedule. We’ll work through what that means for this week, but definitely getting better.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday “I have a decent idea of where we’re going” at quarterback this week. In a possible indication a change was coming, Stefanski said he wanted to tell the team before announcing his plan later Monday. “I talk to Mike every day and and like I’ve told you guys up I’m very confident in our discussions with Mike, with medical, throughout this entire process,” Stefanski said. Stefanski said Monday that Tagovailoa is “Getting better. Stefanski said Pitts’ limited role does not reflect the team’s plan for the tight end. “Kyle’s a big part of what we do,” Stefanski said. “I know the production hasn’t been there for him or our offense in the first two games, but that’s not indicative of what we have planned with Kyle because he’s a good football player.”
