Yahoo Sports host Andrew Siciliano and senior NFL writer Charles Robinson react to Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.’s season ending surgery. Check out the full conversation on “Inside Coverage” – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

View more

Advertisement

Video Transcript

Do we like the guy enough to say he is the guy?

Do we have to make this decision now?

And which coaching staff, and potentially front office staff, is going to make that decision?

Because this season has taken a turn.

Yeah, I mean, you know, as you said, the coaching staff and front office, I mean, let’s kind of see how this unfolds the rest of the way.

A troubling issue here: there are a few troubling things.

Number one, Michael Pennox has now torn ACLs in both his left and right knees.

His right knee already wears a brace; he tore that ACL twice in college.

Now hes torn his ACL in his left knee.

Advertisement

You wonder.

Does he wear braces on both knees now?

Um, how many quarterbacks?

I wentI, I looked up and down, I’m like, let me find the NFL quarterback who’s torn ACLs three times and, And in both knees.

They don’t exist.

Josh White did it at Oklahoma and came back.

You know, after doing it and winning the Heisman there, But there’s no like successful template for this happening.

You know, uh, to a quarterback, and then they, you know, Go on to have success.

So that’s number one, That’s worrisome.

There’s just no box where, You know, you can pick out a successful player and say it’s been done before.

And then number two, Michael Penno still has not played one full football season in the Aggregate.

Advertisement

We, as you said, don’t know what he is.

He, I kind of felt like maybe he was just starting to round up into form in that game where he tore the ACL, and then this happens.

So, I don’t think they’re gonna bail on him if it’s the same coaching staff ahead Office, right?

If it’s a different coaching staff Office, then you don’t really know.

You have no idea how it’s gonna go.

But Kirk Cousins, listen, there’s more.

You’re not paying; it’s a $35 million salary cap hit.

They’ll split it, but, you know, post-June designation, they’ll split it over the 26th and 27 caps, um, but he’s not going to be the quarterback there.

Advertisement

He wants to go somewhere else and have an opportunity to start.

Maybe, maybe if Kirk plays well down the stretch, let’s just go ahead and dreamcast.

Maybe Kirk plays really well down the stretch.

The Falcons approach him and say, “Can we maybe renegotiate your money in?”

2026, and maybe get the number a little bit lower, And if you don’t have another starting job there waiting for you in the NFL, stay here.

And maybe you start the season for us, and we see where this goes in.

In 2026.

Close