Michael Penix Jr. made his triumphant return as QB1 for the Atlanta Falcons last night on Thursday Night Football. He hadn’t played since he was injured in a game against the Carolina Panthers in November 2025, and he didn’t have much of an offseason because he wasn’t cleared for full contact until the week of the third preseason game. Was he worth the wait?
The Falcons got the ball first, giving fans a chance to see Penix Jr. early. Atlanta’s poor fortune seemed to continue when Penix Jr. threw an interception on the fourth play of the opening drive. Things were still a bit shaky early, when he was rushed and called for an intentional grounding penalty, losing a down and stalling the drive.
Luckily for the Falcons fans and coaching staff, that wasn’t all Penix Jr. had to offer.
The Falcons were in danger of another stalled drive with 3:10 minutes left in the first quarter. An incomplete pass on 3rd and 11 should have brought up fourth down, except for a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty. That penalty proved costly, costing Green Bay a chance to get off the field and instead giving the Falcons a chance for a Bijan Robinson touchdown, tying the game 7-7.
That was the Falcons’ first red zone possession all season. Penix Jr. and the offense settled down from there.
After a series of screens, short slants, and handoffs to Robinson, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees felt his quarterback was in rhythm enough to air it out.
And air it out he did.
The more comfortable Penix Jr. became, the more challenging the throws got. And superstar wide receiver Drake London was up for the challenge. Penix Jr. found London nine times for 194 yards. There wasn’t a 50-50 ball to London that Penix Jr. didn’t like, resulting in 40- and 68-yard catches that often led the Falcons into the red zone.
Though London didn’t score a touchdown, Penix Jr. threw one to tight end Austin Hooper on the goal line at the end of the second quarter, extending the lead to 17-7. He also threw a pass for a two-point conversion to Chris Blair later in the game.
The other three touchdowns came courtesy of the Robinson’s running back. Robinson scored two rushing touchdowns and put up several back-breaking runs. And Robinson Jr., in his absence, gave no reprieve, picking up first downs and scoring a touchdown.
And it’s hard for a team to get rushing touchdowns without a stellar offensive line performance. Once the Falcons got settled on offense, the line started bullying Green Bay’s defensive line, pushing and pulling to create gaps their way. Atlanta won the line of scrimmage, but not just on offense. Defensively, with rest from sustained offensive drives, they controlled the line on their end, too.
One glaring issue from last season popped up for Penix Jr.: the intentional grounding penalty. That was becoming an issue in 2025, so there’s hope that yesterday’s penalty was more of an outlier than a continuation of quarterback miscues.
All in all, Penix Jr. passes his first test as the Atlanta Falcons’ franchise quarterback in his return on Thursday Night Football, going 18-of-25 for 256 yards, a touchdown, and an interception with a 101.1 QBR. His exams won’t get easier, though, as his next game is on Monday Night Football in New Orleans. As they celebrate the Katrina Game. It’s a good thing they have ten days off to get ready.
