Late in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, the Atlanta Falcons' bad night got even worse when Michael Penix Jr went down. After his second fumble of the game was overturned, Penix looked visibly shaken up, but managed to remain in the game to finish out the 20-10 defeat.
It looked like his foot or ankle was bothering him, but Raheem Morris provided no real update after the game. However, he just divulged some more information, as Penix suffered a bone bruise in his foot and ankle, and will be day-to-day.
#Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. has a bone bruise in his foot/ankle, according to coach Raheem Morris, who categorized Penix as day to day.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 20, 2025
Luckily, the Dirty Birds boast the league's best insurance policy. If Penix is unable to go on Sunday, the Falcons will turn to Kirk Cousins in Week 8 against the Dolphins, which should remind fans why they kept him around through a myriad of trade rumors.
Thankfully, Michael Penix Jr. avoided a major injury against the 49ers
Penix went just 21-of-38 for 241 yards and a touchdown on Sunday Night Football, which marked his worst start in a while, but was still mostly adequate. Just like in Week 6, he left some points on the board for the Falcons before halftime, but were less fortunate this time around.
This news is a major disaster averted. You never want to see your franchise quarterback go down, and it's incredibly promising to know that his injury won't sideline him for longer just like Divine Deablo.
Cousins only saw action in one game this season, appearing in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's blowout loss to the Panthers back in Week 3, He signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons during the 2024 offseason, but only started 14 games last season before being replaced by Penix.
He threw for 18 touchdowns and a career-high 16 interceptions, but that was off of a torn Achilles. The 37-year-old still has what it takes to be a viable bridge starter in the NFL, and the former Vikings star has been itching for a shot to make his mark as QB1 somewhere.
Unforunately, I don't think this was the scenario he was envisioning, and it wasn't what fans were expecting either. The Falcons have made it clear there is no quarterback controversy, as their second-year QB has emerged as the face of the franchise—although retaining Cousins looks like a stroke of genius right now.
He was retained as a viable insurance option behind the 2024 first-round pick, and he's making what was previously a controversial decision look genius. Should be miss Week 8, Atlanta could do far worse than a four-time Pro Bowler.