Michael Penix Jr. Called 'Franchise QB' by Falcons' Blank, Latest on Knee Injury

Despite a disappointing season that ended early due to a torn ACL, Michael Penix Jr. has earned a vote of confidence from Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Blank said he believes in Penix as their "franchise quarterback" and expressed optimism about his recovery from the knee injury.

"The injury he sustained was on his other knee," Blank explained. "The surgeon felt 1000% secure in the medical procedure. They felt his knee would be better than before."

Blank's comments are notable because the Falcons cleaned out after wrapping up an 8-9 season. They fired head coach Raheem Morris, general manager Terry Fontenot and removed Rich McKay from his role as team president.

Penix suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee in Atlanta's Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He previously suffered two torn ACLs in college, but they were both in his right knee.

An official timeline for his full recovery has not been made public, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport suggested he could be back right around the start of the 2026 season.

Blank's comments suggest the Falcons are planning to give Penix another chance to be the starter next season, though that could say as much about their limited flexibility as it is a firm belief in the 25-year-old.

The Falcons owe their first-round pick in the 2026 draft (No. 13 overall) to the Los Angeles Rams. They do have $21.4 million in projected cap space and could add more depending on any potential roster cuts.

Kirk Cousins reportedly restructured his deal on Monday, giving the Falcons until March 13 to decide whether or not they want to keep him.

Even if the Falcons move on from Cousins, not having a first-round draft pick this year makes it difficult to envision them being able to make a big trade for a quarterback.

There also aren't a lot of very attractive free-agent quarterbacks available to sign, so the Falcons might be better off giving Penix another crack to prove himself as a viable starter.

Penix finished this season with 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions and a 60.1 completion percentage in nine starts. His 57.1 QBR ranked 20th out of 38 quarterbacks with at least 180 attempts.