Falcons' QB Carousel Stops Spinning — For Now: Penix Returns and Atlanta Routs Green Bay 35-14 at Lambeau
Two weeks after Cooper Rush was benched in a 34-3 home wreck against Carolina, the carousel found its landing spot: Michael Penix Jr. made his 2026 debut Thursday night at Lambeau Field and left with a 35-14 win. It was ugly early — he completed 1 of 5 passes with an interception across his first two drives — but he finished 18-of-25 for 256 yards and a touchdown, with Bijan Robinson (194 rushing yards, two TDs, 213 scrimmage yards) and Drake London (career-high 194 receiving) doing the heavy lifting.
Per NFL.com: "He was the third QB to play for Atlanta this season and the second to start. Perhaps the position is solidified, at least for the immediate future.1"
What it means: it's Atlanta's first win of the season (1-2) and Kevin Stefanski's first as Falcons coach, with Tua Tagovailoa active as Penix's backup. After the Rush experiment collapsed, Penix's return — and the way the offense rallied around him once Robinson set the tone — suggests the job is his as long as his knee holds up. The league-wide QB injury picture that shaped the carousel continues in NFL Week 5 Sunday: Jaguars Steal One in London on a 57-Yarder; Giants-Commanders Tie on an OT Clock Blunder.
-
An instance of One quarterback injury erases an entire offseason of offensive construction. — The offense only stabilizes when the injured starter returns, confirming how completely the quarterback injury had torn up the season's construction. ↩︎