The Atlanta Falcons have announced that Michael Penix Jr. will start at quarterback in Thursday night’s road game against the Green Bay Packers. The decision comes as the Falcons seek to improve an offense that has struggled through the first two games of the season. Atlanta began the year with two straight losses, including a 34-3 defeat at home against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Penix, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has been sidelined while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee that ended his 2025 season prematurely. In nine starts last year, Penix completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, throwing nine touchdowns against three interceptions. Despite his mixed results in 2025, the Falcons are turning to Penix as they look to boost their offensive production after managing just 16 points and one touchdown in two games with Cooper Rush under center.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the change on Monday, also providing an update on injured starter Tua Tagovailoa. Stefanski had initially indicated that Tagovailoa would begin the season as the starting quarterback, but Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury in practice prior to the opener and was subsequently inactive for the game against the Panthers. "He’s getting better. We’ll work through what that means for this week," Stefanski said regarding Tagovailoa’s status.
Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings will welcome back quarterback Kyler Murray, who was cleared from the concussion protocol and is set to start in their upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Murray was replaced by Carson Wentz during the season opener against the Packers and was inactive for the following game at Chicago, where Wentz started and helped the team secure a 9-3 victory. The 33-year-old quarterback led the Vikings to wins over Green Bay and the Bears in the first two weeks.
In other injury news, the Philadelphia Eagles are signing tight end Zach Ertz to their practice squad. Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champion during his first eight seasons with the Eagles, was brought in as a backup while starter Dallas Goedert recovers from an MCL sprain. Ertz spent the previous season with the Washington Commanders, where his year was cut short by a torn ACL in December.
The New Orleans Saints announced that left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. will undergo surgery for a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss an indefinite period. The injury adds to the early season challenges faced by the Saints’ roster.