Falcons make Penix inactive for Week 1 at Pittsburgh

Tagovailoa starts, with Rush in the No. 2 role.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 71 min read

Penix said he told Stefanski “I’m not where I want to be right now.” #Falcons Via @marcraimondi on X

What happened: Penix said he told Kevin Stefanski, “I’m not where I want to be right now.” Stefanski said Penix, Atlanta’s medical staff and the coaching staff agree on his return-to-play plan.

Why it matters: The move separates medical clearance from game readiness and removes Penix as an emergency option in the opener. Stefanski declined to project the quarterback order beyond Week 1.

By the numbers: Penix was cleared for full-team, 11-on-11 practice Aug. 22 and logged three such sessions before the decision.

What to watch: Watch whether Penix’s workload grows before Atlanta sets its Week 2 game-day depth chart.

Sources

@marcraimondi 2026-09-07T17:16:19.439607+00:00

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