Michael Penix Jr. Named Falcons' Starting Quarterback Amidst Early-Season Struggles

The Atlanta Falcons have named Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback for Thursday's game against the Green Bay Packers. The announcement was made by the team on Monday.

This decision follows a challenging 0-2 start to the season for the Falcons, which included an opening loss to the Steelers and a significant 34-3 defeat to the Carolina Panthers in their home opener. The team's offense has faced considerable difficulties in the first two games, notably failing to execute a single play within the red zone in either matchup.

Penix has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in November for a torn ACL sustained in Week 11, which caused him to miss the final seven games of the previous season. He received full clearance to practice last month.

While ESPN reported Sunday that Penix might be active against Green Bay, head coach Kevin Stefanski did not confirm this in his press conference early Monday afternoon, stating he would provide an update after speaking with his players. "I will let you guys know," Stefanski said. "I will give you an update when I’ve been able to talk to the players and work through it. So I don’t have an update right this minute. But again, constant communication with Mike, with all of our guys, so we’ll work through it this week."

When questioned about reports suggesting Penix's potential return, Stefanski emphasized his desire to communicate with his players first. Penix himself had expressed that he was not ready to start in the season opener against Pittsburgh, telling reporters on September 7, "I just told [head coach Kevin Stefanski] I’m not where I want to be right now. And I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help the team win football games. And I’m really close. Really close."

The Falcons have also been managing the absence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has been out with an oblique injury sustained shortly before their Week 1 game.