NFL to Make Punishment Decision After Michael Penix Jr., Packers Incident

Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons picked up their first win of the season against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers.

by Yagya Bhargava

Sep 25, 2026

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas van Ness

Mark Hoffman - USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons made a statement in Week 3, with the quarterback playing his first game back from a torn ACL. Atlanta rolled to a 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Thursday night, picking up its first victory of the season to move to 1-2.

Penix settled in quickly, completing 13 of 20 passes for 114 yards before halftime, connecting with Drake London, who had a 194 receiving yards game, on five of those throws for 54 yards.

Bijan Robinson did the heavy lifting on the ground, racking up 111 rushing yards by the break and finishing with two touchdowns, while Jordan Love and the Packers had no answer, managing just 17 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Packers’ QB.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Jeff Hanisch - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The win was a much-needed response for the Falcons after a slow start, but one sequence from the first quarter carried extra weight beyond the final score, the kind of play the league tends to review closely afterward.

Cox Flagged For Roughing The Passer

With 3:06 left in the first quarter, Penix took a deep shot down the left side to London that fell incomplete, but Brenton Cox Jr. was flagged for roughing the passer after late contact on Penix’s helmet.

Atlanta accepted the penalty, erasing the incompletion and picking up 15 yards with an automatic first down, and Robinson punched in a 3-yard touchdown about 90 seconds later to tie the game at 7.

Under the NFL’s 2026 fine schedule, a first roughing the passer violation carries a $17,911 penalty, though the flag alone does not guarantee a fine since every hit gets reviewed after the game.

A second violation this season would raise that number to $23,882 for the Green Bay pass rusher. Staying upright remains the priority for Penix as he works his way back into form.

Atlanta returns to action Monday, October 5, on the road against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.