Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has given an injury update while aggressively attacking his rehab.
The Atlanta Falcons Quarterback expects to be back earlier than expected.
“Just spoke to Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr… He’s already doing squats and of course… listening to his doctors, but told me he thinks he’ll be ready to go by April” Zach Klein of Atlanta’s ABC-TV wrote in a social media post.
Michael Penix Jr.’s Injury History
Penix underwent surgery on a partially torn ACL in his left knee the week of Nov. 24, 2025. Nonetheless, this is not the first time Michael Penix Jr. has been seriously injured.
The Atlanta Falcons QB previously tore his right ACL in 2018 and 2020, both times ending his seasons at the University of Indiana. Penix would then transfer to the University of Washington.
Despite his injury history, Penix has proven to be a quarterback with elite potential.
At Washington, he threw for over 4000 yards in back-to-back seasons with a 65 percent completion percentage in 2022 and 2023.
Penix suffered his latest ACL injury on the left knee after taking a sack in the third quarter of a Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 16.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank confirmed that Penix Jr.’s surgery was successful one week after his injury.
“The surgeon felt 1,000 percent secure in the medical procedure they went through, and they really felt his knee was going to be even better than it was before,” Blank said. “He’s on a successful rehab program. He’s back in Atlanta. He’s committed mentally, physically. He feels good.”
Typically, an ACL injury takes about 9 months to recover from. Penix Jr. returning around the time of the NFL draft would be remarkable.
Before Michael Penix Jr. went down, he completed 60.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,982 yards during the 2025 season. He had nine total touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
The Atlanta Falcons were in the middle of a three-game losing streak when Penix went down.
Kevin Stefanski’s Thoughts on Michael Penix Jr.
The Atlanta Falcons introduced new head coach Kevin Stefanski to the media on January 27th. Stefanski was hired as head coach of the Falcons on January 17th.
Stefanski made complimentary comments on his new quarterback.
“I’m just excited about the physical gifts,” Stefanski said during the press conference. “What’s most important right now for Michael is to get healthy. He knows that, and we’ll get to football here shortly, but he’s attacking his rehab. I think you see a player on tape that can get through progressions, can layer the ball, and can push the ball to all areas of the field.”
“I’m a maniac about [development],” Stefanski said. “I’m just crazy about the development of our players. We want to be a very intentional group when it comes to developing players, obviously, the quarterback positions at the forefront of that.”
Penix Jr.’s injury recovery will play a role on whether or not the Atlanta Falcons will bring back Kirk Cousins or not. Cousins backed up Penix Jr. to start the 2025 NFL season.
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. Shares Important Injury Update