Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski said Michael Penix will be inactive for Week 1 against the Steelers.

07 September 2026

Veteran QB Cooper Rush will serve as the Falcons’ QB2 in the season opener. Speaking on Monday with the media, Stefanski declined to put a timeline on when Penix could be ready to take the field, instead saying he is “very confident in the plan” they have for the 26-year-old QB. Earlier, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons wanted to give Penix “a couple more weeks” to prepare for the season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if we are a few weeks away from him dressing for game days.