Falcons head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged last week that Atlanta must begin devising alternative plans for the quarterback position heading into the 2026 season, this after Michael Penix Jr. is about to undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. Penix is expected to undergo surgery this week in Los Angeles, and his recovery is estimated to take around nine months. If the nine-month period is met, Penix could be ready for the start of the 2026 season, although there are no certainties, especially for players who have suffered injuries to both ACLs. The recovery from a second ACL surgery can sometimes take longer, and no one yet knows how Penix’s recovery will evolve. However, the Falcons know that, although they still have high hopes for Penix and are confident in his return, they cannot determine when it will happen, so they will have to address the quarterback position this offseason.
One option could be Kirk Cousins, who is scheduled to be Atlanta’s starter on Sunday in New Orleans. Technically, Cousins has two years left on his contract, but there is no more guaranteed money. He is scheduled to earn $35 million in base salary in each of the next two seasons, a figure that some in the league would consider high for a player who hasn’t played much since last season. Atlanta could look to acquire a less expensive veteran, as other teams have done in recent years, and will surely end up selecting a quarterback in the draft. Atlanta’s hopes, the season, and the future took a hard hit last Sunday, when Penix limped off the field in what became an overtime loss to the division rivals, the Panthers. The game left the Falcons without their quarterback and with a 3-7 record heading into Sunday’s game against the Saints (2-8), who are in last place. This is the fifth season-ending injury in eight seasons, between college and the NFL, for Penix, who tore his right ACL twice while at Indiana. Morris noted that Penix is “battle-tested” and said that the second-year quarterback “has only gotten stronger with every opportunity he’s been given.” “This guy will come back stronger for us. This organization believes in him. His coaches believe in him. His teammates believe in him, and he will come back strong for us.” Penix, 25 years old, completed 60.1% of his passes this season for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. It’s likely this will become the eighth consecutive season without a playoff berth for the Falcons, their longest streak since their eight-year playoff-less run from 1983 to 1990. To make matters worse, Atlanta doesn’t have its 2026 first-round pick, which right now would be a top-10 pick; that pick was traded last April to the Rams for a 2025 first-round pick that the Falcons used for defensive end James Pearce Jr. Now, Atlanta is without its franchise quarterback, without its first-round pick, and trying to find a way to pick up the pieces and navigate the future as successfully as possible.“Definitely, you have to go out and make some different plans when you talk about the offseason, but we’ll talk about that and address it when the time comes.”
Raheem Morris
