The Atlanta Falcons have officially named Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback for Thursday night's match against the Green Bay Packers. This change comes after the Falcons made an appalling 0-2 start to the season, scoring just 16 points across two weeks, with the offence failing to advance into the red zone at all. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the decision necessary by the abysmal performance of Cooper Rush, who recorded poor statistics and threw multiple interceptions before being benched.

Penix is returning from a third career ACL tear suffered in November 2025 and has had limited preparation for this short-week fixture at Lambeau Field. The quarterback carousel began when offseason acquisition Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during a pre-season practice before Week 1, forcing the Falcons to rely on Cooper Rush and rookie Jack Strand, both of whom performed poorly. Despite the challenging circumstances, Penix's arm strength offers Atlanta's best prospect for generating offensive momentum and supporting their running game with Bijan Robinson.