Michael Penix’s second NFL season could be over.
The Falcons quarterback left Sunday’s 30-27 overtime loss to the Panthers with a knee injury and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that it could be season-ending.
Penix was replaced by veteran Kirk Cousins and the Falcons blew a 21-7 lead to their NFC South rivals to fall to 3-7.
The loss — the Falcons’ fifth straight — all but eliminated the team from playoff contention.
Michael Penix suffered a knee injury in the Falcons’ loss to the Panthers on Nov. 16, 2025. Getty ImagesPenix had completed 13 of 16 passes for 175 yards before getting hit on an incomplete pass and collapsing back to the turf after trying to stand up.
The exact injury has not been reported, and Penix is seeking a second opinion.
Penix, 25, had been having a decent season for Atlanta, completing 60 percent of his passes for 1,982 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions. Penix had previously suffered a bone bruise on his knee in a loss to the 49ers, which led to Cousins playing in a 34-10 loss to the Dolphins on Oct. 26.
Now, Cousins takes over as the full-time starter after signing a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons last offseason only for the team to stunningly draft Penix in the first round a month later.
Kirk Cousins replaced the injured Michael Penix. Getty ImagesCousins, 37, has been mediocre in three appearances thus far this season — and has yet to throw a touchdown.
“You know, we’ve lost a bunch of games in a row in tight moments, and you got to find a way to win those games,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris told reporters after Sunday’s crushing defeat.
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“It definitely is on me. There’s no such thing as a losing team. There’s only a losing leader, and I’m the leader, and we lost.”
The Falcons play at the Saints on Sunday.
