Penix was injured after a taking a sack in the third quarter. Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images
Kirk Cousins has taken over at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons after second-year starter Michael Penix Jr. left Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers with a knee injury.
Penix was injured on a Carolina blitz and had to be attended to on the field by trainers before walking to the blue injury tent under his own power. After spending about five minutes in the tent, he returned to the Atlanta bench but sat with a towel over his head as Cousins prepared to enter the game.
This is Cousins’ third appearance for the Falcons this season and second against the Panthers. He replaced Penix late in a Week 3 loss to Carolina and then started in Week 8 as Penix sat out with a knee injury.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million free-agency deal with the Falcons in 2024 but was benched in favor of Penix following Week 15 last year. He told team owner Arthur Blank this offseason that he wanted to be traded, but the Falcons did not honor that request.
Nov 16, 2025
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