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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers, and the outlook is not good. Penix may be out for the season, and the team is expected to turn the reins over to Kirk Cousins as long as Penix undergoes further evaluation, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Penix sustained the injury after a third-down sack in the third quarter and slammed his helmet down, appearing frustrated, after the hit. He was able to walk off the field on his own and immediately went into the blue medical tent as the special teams unit punted.
Before leaving the game, Penix went 13 of 16 with 175 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Falcons were up 21-19 in the divisional matchup when Penix exited.
Penix has a history of knee injuries, as he torn his ACL in 2018 and in 2020, before entering the NFL.
Cousins took over for the injured second-year player, and he will be the starter for the rest of the season if Penix can’t return. Cousins, last year’s starter, has one start this year, a loss, and has appeared in two games before this week. He went 26 of 38 with 202 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in both games.
Cousins finished with six passes on 14 attempts with 48 passing yards.
The news of Penix’s injury is only compounded by the fact that star wide receiver Drake London left the game late in regulation after suffering a knee injury as well. London didn’t return for overtime, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that London likely avoided a major injury.
