By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix will be placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games with a left knee injury, leaving Kirk Cousins as the starter.
Penix suffered the injury in Sunday’s 30-27 overtime loss to Carolina, extending the Falcons’ losing streak to five games.
Cousins will make his second start of the season when the Falcons (3-7) play at New Orleans (2-8) on Sunday.
Atlanta’s top wide receiver, Drake London, also could miss at least one week with a knee injury. Coach Raheem Morris on Monday said London’s status is “week to week.”
Penix left in the third quarter with Atlanta leading 21-16. Penix missed the Falcons’ 34-10 loss to Miami on Oct. 26 with a bone bruise on his left knee. He may have suffered a more significant injury when he was hit by Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig after throwing an incomplete pass.
Morris said Penix was seeking a second opinion after having an MRI on the knee Monday morning. Morris would not confirm there is concern Penix has damage to his anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. Penix had two ACL injuries in his college career at Indiana and Washington.
“I don’t want to say that because that’s just not my place to say that yet,” Morris said. “… I want to make sure before I actually confirm anything.”
Morris said he did not know if the new injury was related to the bone bruise.
Morris said he spoke with the team and then spoke individually with Penix on Monday.
“I really hurt for the young man,” Morris said, adding Penix was “really finding his groove.”
Penix, the team’s 2024 first-round pick, was 13 of 16 for 175 yards against Carolina after completing only 12 of 28 passes in a 31-25 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 9.
“I like how he took a lot of ownership on it last week and really was ready to have a bounce-back week,” Morris said.
Following the hit from Moehrig, Penix started to walk off the field, then sat down and waited for the athletic training staff. He then walked to the sideline under his own power and was examined in the injury tent.
Cousins completed only 6 of 14 passes for 48 yards and could not move the team into the end zone against Carolina. The veteran who opened the 2024 season as the starter now returns to the lead role for at least four games and possibly the remainder of the season.
The Falcons’ offense struggled in Cousins’ first start of the season in the loss to Miami. Morris noted there was uncertainty at quarterback in practice leading up to the game against the Dolphins, but this week Cousins will have the advantage of taking all the first-team snaps.
“He will go through all the rotations this week,” Morris said. “He’ll go through everything that we need to get done in order for him to go out there and, you know, get a win for the football team.”
Morris said it was fair to assume there will be a heavy emphasis on Bijan Robinson and the running game with the offense missing both Penix and London.
Cousins will need to orchestrate an unlikely turnaround to prevent the Falcons’ eighth consecutive losing season since their most recent playoff appearance in 2017.
“There’s no magic formula,” Cousins said after Sunday’s game. “You just get back to work and trust your training, and you’ve got to stay the course, believe that tough times don’t last and tough people do, and that’s all you can do.”
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