Cunningham said, via the team’s website, “For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in here to compete, like Michael knows he is coming in to compete, everybody quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position.”

He also revealed that no one is safe. “There are no starters right now,” Cunningham said. The Falcons GM said that, before bringing in Tagovailoa, they spoke to Penix to not blindside him.

Penix and Tua will be one of the more intriguing QB battles this offseason

Both are lefties, both have injuries to care about and have doubts over them. However, the Falcons are hoping that they sharpen each other and at least one evolves into the franchise quarterback this team clearly needs.

The fact is both have some flaws in his game. The fact is both still have upside, though the benefit of the doubt is not something any of these NFL two signal-callers have in abundance. It’s an intriguing thing and eyeballs will be on the Falcons until they give a final decision.

Tua and Penix both will have good weapons to work with

Having three first rounders as weapons is great for any quarterback. Drake London will be the wide receiver one, Kyle Pitts the tight end, and Bijan Robinson the running back. Not only are the three first rounders, but elite talents at their respective positions.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Falcons will franchise tag tight end Kyle Pitts. He will earn $15 million guaranteed. Pitts was seen as a generational talent and had a Pro Bowl season in 2021, his rookie year. After that, his output hasn’t been able to be regular and fell drastically.

However, it seems like new head coach Kevin Stefanski will like to keep him, as 2025 was Pitts’ second-best year. Per Rapoport, the hope is to get a long-term deal done. The two sides have until July to reach a new agreement.

Pitts 2025 season might have saved his Falcons career

From 2022 to 2024, Pitts had 356, 667, and 602 yards. In 2025, Pitts had 928 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. That was key for the Falcons not to lose faith in Pitts. Now, he might have earned a future long-term deal. While Michael Penix Jr. is not clarified on his status, Pitts is.

Pitts also had a career-high in catches with 88. With only 25 years of age, the fact is Pitts has still room to grow and develop even more. He is only entering his prime. The talent is there, and the Falcons will try to unlock that potential once more.

Stefanski has worked wonders with tight ends

During his Browns days, Stefanski had a tight end-heavy scheme, using 12 personnel (2 TEs) and 13 personnel (3 TEs) more than almost any other coach in the NFL. Stefanski loves his tight ends, and he could be the one that puts Pitts as an elite tight end in the league.

Under Stefanski, Harrison Bryant had 89 receptions for 791 yards, and 10 touchdowns in three years. Austin Hooper had 84 catches for 780 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons. David Njoku racked up 291 receptions for 2,996 yards and 25 touchdowns from 2020-2025, and lastly, rookie tight end Harold Fannin had 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns. Hence, Pitts should be excited to be playing for Stefanski.

Despite the reports that the Falcons will release Kirk Cousins, that doesn’t mean Michael Penix Jr. will just be handed the QB1 role of the Falcons. Per Ryan, “Quarterback’s obviously very important and we’re excited about Mike and what he’s doing with his rehab. I’ve been up at the facility the last three weeks, and Michael’s been in there attacking that and he’s in a good space right now, so we’re excited about where he is at. But certainly, a lot of discussions for us about the entire roster.”

So, what at first looked like an endorsement from Ryan, then ended with a concerning quote. While Penix was a first-round pick two years ago, he hasn’t been able to live up to the hype, and then suffered a gruesome knee injury.

Stefanski has always worked with QBs under duress

Stefanski went from Baker Mayfield to Deshaun Watson to Shedeur Sanders, among many other quarterbacks, during his time as HC of the Browns. Hence, he knows how to make the most of not great quarterbacks. He got Deshaun Watson post his prime, and Baker Mayfield before his prime. Still, he had the Browns in the playoffs twice, and won Coach of the Year twice despite all of that.

Therefore, it’s likely Stefanski would try to work with Penix. However, given Penix’s injury history, one might assume the Falcons would try to get someone to compete with him, or be able to carry the team if Penix can’t regain either his fitness or his form.

The Falcons have the talent to become a big-time offense

The Falcons have four skill players drafted in the first round in Penix, wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and running back Bijan Robinson. London, Pitts, and Robinson are regarded as generational talents, and the offensive line is also good. Hence, there is no reason why this team has struggled that much.

Stefanski loves a scheme where he commands a wide-zone running game with heavy play-action usage. He developed that under Gary Kubiak and is also influenced by the Shanahan’s. This scheme actually should help the Falcons players to maximize their output.

This will be Kirk Cousins’ second start since he became the team’s starting quarterback following Michael Penix Jr.’s season-ending knee injury. It was noticed that Cousins spent more time under center against New Orleans than Penix did.

The veteran went 16 of 23 for 199 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Head coach Raheem Morris agreed that Cousins felt more comfortable playing under center than Penix.

“There’s no question about it,” Morris answered. “Kirk is, that’s what he’s been throughout his whole career. Obviously, when he came off the injury last year, he felt a little bit more comfortable in the pistol.”

Zac Robinson defends use of pistol formation with Michael Penix Jr.

The debate about why the Falcons use two systems for their quarterbacks has been hot this week. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson defended his decision to use the pistol formation for Penix.

“100%. Yeah, that’s very fair to say. I mean, I know it’s a popular kind of narrative to say those things,” Robinson answered when asked if the formations were quarterback-driven. “But, Mike is – I think he’s like third or fourth in the league in yards per attempt, and almost all of his are in the pistol in terms of play pass. So, we’ve had better play pass this year. We’ve had better protection. That’s helped out. We’ve had better route distribution, scheming, all those things that factor into it.”

Atlanta has endured tough moments in 2025. They can still turn things around, but the lack of consistency appears to be their biggest opponent this year.

Cousins had a decent game, going 16 of 23 for 199 yards and two touchdowns with one interception and three sacks. The veteran quarterback did just enough to take his team to a much-needed win against their archrivals.

Cousins showed different things compared to Penix, more specifically, his play under center. While Penix was used in the shotgun formation, with only a running back behind him, Cousins had more people around him against the Saints.

Raheem Morris explains decision to use Kirk Cousins more under center

After the game, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked if Cousins played more comfortably under center than Penix.

“There’s no question about it,” Morris answered. “Kirk is, that’s what he’s been throughout his whole career. Obviously, when he came off the injury last year, he felt a little bit more comfortable in the pistol. He’s back to what he’s been in the past and what he’s played the 12, 13 years in the National Football League. We did what accommodated Kirk, what made him look the best, and what made us feel the best about going out and operating.”

The Falcons appear to have found some stability with Cousins. Their next test will come against the New York Jets on Sunday. New York enters the game as an easy opponent for the Falcons, but they have been upset before.

On Wednesday, the Falcons announced that Penix Jr. suffered an ACL injury that will abruptly end his 2025 NFL season. It is a massive blow for the team, as Kirk Cousins is now set to take over as the starter.

To add depth to the position, the Falcons acted quickly. On Wednesday, Atlanta signed QB Kyle Trask to its practice squad, although he is not expected to be elevated to the active roster for Week 12.

Could Kyle Trask ‘steal’ Kirk Cousins’ job in Atlanta?

The season-ending injury to Michael Penix Jr. is a major blow for the Falcons. Head coach Raheem Morris viewed the rookie as the team’s future savior, but he will now have to rely on veteran Kirk Cousins to lead the offense.

Before Penix Jr.’s injury, Morris hinted multiple times that Cousins wasn’t his preferred quarterback. With the sophomore signal-caller now sidelined, the head coach seemingly has no choice but to trust Cousins… or does he?

Kyle Trask served as Tom Brady’s backup during TB12’s final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When Brady retired, many assumed Trask would become the clear backup behind Baker Mayfield — but that offseason took an unexpected turn.

When Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers, Trask emerged as a surprising challenger in the quarterback competition. Although Mayfield ultimately won the job and the rest is history, Trask’s performance raised eyebrows and proved he could push a veteran.

While Morris has publicly stated that Cousins will remain the starter and Easton Stick the backup, Trask should not be counted out. The head coach has never been fully sold on Cousins, and any slip-up from the veteran could quickly put Trask in the conversation.

Michael Penix Jr. sounded the alarms with a knee injury he suffered late in the game. The second-year quarterback exited the game in the Falcons’ final drive in the third quarter. Kirk Cousins replaced him for the remainder of the game, which didn’t change much for Atlanta.

Head coach Raheem Morris didn’t have an update on Penix’s injury after the game, adding that he could have sent the quarterback back to the field, but it didn’t feel ok.

Michael Penix Jr. suffered a potentially season-ending injury

ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Penix’s injury could potentially keep him out of action for the rest of the 2025 NFL season.

The former Washington star got hurt in a third-and-10 play from Atlanta’s own 22-yard line. He was tackled by Carolina safety Tre’von Moehrig after throwing an incomplete pass.

Penix couldn’t get up right away and was helped off the field by trainers. He left the game after going 13 of 16 for 175 yards. Cousins went 6 of 14 for 48 yards. The player is reportedly seeking second options, but the picture doesn’t look promising.

Atlanta lost its fifth consecutive game against the Panthers. It will clash with the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, probably without its starting quarterback.

According to Adam Schefter, Michael Penix Jr. suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury. Still, the quarterback will look for a second opinion. Even with that, it’s not a promising scenario for the second-year signal-caller.

Penix has a long history of knee injuries. He suffered ACL tears to his left knee in both the 2018 and 2020 seasons in college. It seems like a long story of unfortunate events for Penix.

Who is next on the Falcons QB depth chart?

If Penix is out, NFL veteran Kirk Cousins is the next man up. He has played in three games this season only starting one of them. Cousins has completed 61.5% of his passes, 250 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Cousins was 7-7 last season with the Falcons and has been on a steep decline since 2023. He had two Pro Bowl seasons in 2021 and 2022, but after that, it’s not been good. He also played against the Panthers last time where they were shut out. The other quarterback is Easton Stick.

Penix wasn’t stellar either

Missing Penix is not nice. Still, it’s not like an MVP-caliber quarterback is gone. Penix is still learning the ropes of the NFL. He has shown flashes of talent but he was still a middle-of-the-pack quarterback.

Penix is 3-6, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. His passer rating is very average too with an 88.5 rate. The season for the Falcons is almost lost, and the quarterback play is one of the main reasons why.

Penix was asked about where he goes for advice when he needs it. He responded saying he goes to his fiancé and his quarterback coaches back home. This was taken as a jab to the Falcons’ coaching staff.

For Raheem Morris, taking it like that is “a joke,” and that it “lets you down” as to how people react to snippets of information. Hence, he clarified there is no issue taken. After all, the Falcons staff are with Penix every single day.

Penix developed big-time chemistry with Drake London already

Drake London was always a good receiver, but it’s time to put him near the elite group of receivers in the NFL. In his last five games, he’s overcome the 100-yard mark four times. Also, he’s scored six touchdowns in that span.

As a whole, he has 691 yards, six touchdowns and when targeted, the quarterback’s passer rating is 106.5. Therefore, Penix and London are building quite some chemistry.

The Falcons offense has to start producing consistently

There are five first rounders in the Falcons’ offense. Penix is one of them. Bijan Robinson, running back, too. Then you add London and tight end Kyle Pitts. Hence, the expectations for the offense are very high.

But, the Falcons offense is a very inconsistent unit. The team has scored 20 or more points six times this season. Conversely, the offense has scored 10 or less points three times. The Falcons need consistency.

Michael Penix Jr. recently suffered a knee injury that sidelined him in Week 8. The Falcons clearly missed his presence, as they fell to the Miami Dolphins at home in a surprising loss that featured a disappointing performance from Kirk Cousins.

Fortunately for Atlanta, Penix Jr. is back. The Falcons did not list any injury designation for him, and NFL Media reports that the former first-round pick is set to start against the Patriots in Week 9.

Penix Jr. is not the only one returning for the Falcons

The Week 8 loss to the Dolphins was not part of the Falcons’ plan. However, they had to play without Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London, two key pieces of their offense.

Drake London was limited in Wednesday’s practice due to a hip issue. Nevertheless, like Penix Jr., he carried no injury designation on the final report — meaning he’s good to go for Sunday’s game against Drake Maye and the Patriots.

London is coming off the best season of his NFL career. In 2024, he recorded 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns, but injuries have affected him this year, and he may struggle to match those numbers in 2025.

In six games played so far, London has 469 receiving yards and two touchdowns. This season is especially important for him, as he’s seeking a contract extension after the Falcons exercised his fifth-year option for the 2026 campaign.

Atlanta will take on the inspired New England Patriots in Week 9. They are 1-1 against the AFC East and a win over Drake Maye and company would give them the edge over the division.

Michael Penix Jr. couldn’t play against the Dolphins, which helped Tua Tagovailoa and his team dominate against the Falcons. Penix missed the game due to a bone bruise in his left knee, but the situation is different ahead of the Patriots duel.

Raheem Morris is optimistic on his QB

Kirk Cousins went 21 of 31 for 173 yards against the Dolphins. The Falcons scored a single touchdown and lost 34-10 against Tagovailoa. Raheem Morris told reporters on Wednesday that Penix was in the building and the team is optimistic about his chances to play against the Patriots.

“Michael is in the building, obviously in meetings. … We’ll get a chance to get a feel for what he can do in practice, if he can do anything,” Morris said. “He feels better than he did last week. … So, I feel really good about him.”

Penix was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice session. In six games, he has gone 119 of 195 for five touchdowns against three interceptions. The Falcons are a question mark this season, and they need to start winning games before their playoff dreams vanish.