After spending the first two weeks on the sidelines, attempting to get up to speed after rehabbing from a partially torn ACL throughout the offseason, former Washington Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has officially been named the starter for the Atlanta Falcons when they hit the road on Thursday night to take on the Green Bay Packers.
The Falcons have seen arguably the NFL's worst quarterback play over the first two weeks of the year, as first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski has started 0-2, making the return of the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft perfectly timed for the organization.
Atlanta has mustered just 16 points in its first two games and is last in the league in passing, throwing for just 123.5 yards per game with
the combination of Cooper Rush and Jack Strand at the helm after veteran Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury.
Michael Penix Jr. has been named starting quarterback for Thursday's gamehttps://t.co/EyBzaBvKii pic.twitter.com/320iqTJ4hN
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 21, 2026
"I think Mike's looked good," offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said of Penix's growth. "He's been really going here for a few weeks now. I didn't know Mike pre-injury very well, except from afar. But he looks sharp, moving well. I think he has confidence in it. Obviously, his arm talent is easily seen. But in terms of the lower-body movement and his ability to play quick and do those things, I think Mike's progressed really nicely."
The Falcons have plenty of talented playmakers around Penix, headlined by running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts, and now that the runner-up for the 2023 Heisman Trophy is healthy and comfortable in the offense, Atlanta could see a quick uptick on that side of the ball.
"Mike's done everything we've asked of him with, really," Rees added. "Over the last few weeks, he's looked sharp without many limitations. He's moved in the pocket. He's gotten outside of the pocket. I'll let the medical side handle all those things, but I'm very pleased with where Mike's been."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Michael Penix Jr. regains starting job for Atlanta Falcons
