The Atlanta Falcons got bad news on Monday morning, when it was reported that their talented young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. likely suffered a season-ending knee injury. Penix is getting additional opinions on his knee, but one thing is already clear, the injury is significant enough to have the Falcons concerned. Beyond the results of this season, it’s never good to lose a player to a significant injury, especially a player with the injury history Penix has.
Penix’s injury history has come up since the report of his latest injury, with some people speculating if the new knee injury occurred on the same knee that the quarterback tore his ACL twice in college. However, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has confirmed that the current knee injury is to Penix’s left knee, which is opposite of the leg he injured twice in college.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s current knee injury is on the same knee as the bone bruise earlier this season. It is NOT the same knee that he injured in college.
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) November 17, 2025
Michael Penix Jr.’s current injury is on his left knee, not the knee he injured in college
A significant knee injury is terrible news regardless, and there definitely would have been concern if the quarterback injured the same knee for a third time. However, possibly undergoing major reconstructive surgery on both knees is also a challenging reality. As Penix undergoes additional testing, everyone will be awaiting some positive news.
While Penix hasn’t had a major injury to his left knee, he did have a bone bruise on the knee earlier this season, resulting in him missing one game. The current expectation is a injury much more severe, that will keep Penix sidelined much longer, but the team is still working through things and gathering more information.
Overall, it has been a rough year for Penix and the Falcons in year two. In nine games, the quarterback completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also rushed for an additional touchdown. Unfortunately, Atlanta is just 3-6 in his starts, and the team was unable to take the step it felt it was capable of. Now, the young quarterback will shift his attention to getting healthy.