Michael Penix Jr. was briefly evaluated during Sunday night’s game but didn’t miss an offensive snap in the 20-10 loss to San Francisco. Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is “day to day” with a bone bruise he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Raheem Morris announced Monday.
“He came in and saw our doctors today, and there’s definitely some types of limitations,” Morris said.
“He’s sore but really feel good about him. He’s as tough as it gets. There’s a lot of toughness in this guy. He’s got a lot of toughness in him. I can’t wait to see where he is on Wednesday.”
Penix was briefly evaluated during Sunday night’s game but didn’t miss an offensive snap in the 20-10 loss.
The Falcons are 3-3 this season with Penix as the starter. The second-year quarterback is completing 61 percent of his passes for 1,409 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Kirk Cousins time?
If the second-year starter can’t play against the Dolphins, it would mean the return of Kirk Cousins to the starting quarterback job. Cousins, who is in the second-year of a four-year free agency deal he signed last offseason, is currently the most expensive backup in the league, with a salary of $40 million this season.
Cousins was benched in Week 16 last season after a five-game stretch in which he threw nine interceptions, opening the way for Penix, the No. 8 pick of the 2024 draft, to take the job. Cousins told team owner Arthur Blank during an offseason meeting that he would prefer to be traded to a team where he could be a starting quarterback, but the Falcons decided to keep him on their active roster and he looked sharp throughout training camp.
Given that Penix is now 4-5 as Atlanta’s starter dating to last season and 27th in the league in EPA per dropback (minus-.02) this season, if Cousins does get a start and looks good, it’s sure to raise questions about how long he should hold onto the job. — Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer
Oct 21, 2025
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