Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. To Miss Start Of 2026 Season?
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s season ended last week when he suffered a partially torn left ACL in a loss to the Panthers. It’s possible the recovery process will take long enough to jeopardize Penix’s availability for the beginning of the 2026 campaign, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Penix will undergo surgery “sooner than later,” head coach Raheem Morris said this week. Morris also expressed optimism that Penix will be ready for Week 1 next season, but he added “that’s a guestimation by me, not medical information.”
It’s doubtful that Penix will be a full participant in the Falcons’ offseason program, according to Kendall. That could decrease his chances of taking the field in the Falcons’ 2026 season opener, which would throw a wrench into Morris’ plans.
If Penix isn’t ready at the outset of next year, it’s unclear who will take the reins for the Falcons. Kirk Cousins will finish this season as the Falcons’ starter, but his time in Atlanta could end soon after that.
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $160MM contract with $90MM fully guaranteed a little over a month before drafting Penix eighth overall in 2024. The decision to splurge on the former Washington and Minnesota starter has blown up in Atlanta’s face. Cousins performed poorly enough last year that Morris demoted him in favor of Penix in Week 15. Penix kept the starting job until his injury, leaving Cousins as a ridiculously overpriced backup since last December.
Cousins still has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s due to count an untenable $57.5MM against the Falcons’ salary cap in both 2026 and ’27. An offseason release seems likely. Cutting Cousins would allow the Falcons to spread a much more manageable $35MM hit over the next two seasons, Kendall notes.
Moving on from Cousins with Penix recovering from surgery would put the Falcons in the market for QB insurance during the offseason. They’ll likely consider various free agent and trade options. The Falcons could also draft someone, but it would have to come after the first round. They’re not in position to use another Round 1 selection on a signal-caller until 2027, having traded their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams at last year’s draft. With the Falcons off to a 3-7 start, that pick could wind up in the top 10.
In a best-case scenario for the Falcons, a healthy Penix will establish himself as a franchise passer next season. However, it’s concerning that the 25-year-old carries a lengthy injury history, including two right ACL tears in college. He also hasn’t offered high-level production over his first 12 starts in the NFL. The Falcons have gone 4-8 with Penix at the controls. It’s too soon to write Penix off, but the Falcons will have to come up with an effective backup plan this offseason in the wake of his latest injury.
Eagles Won’t Place RT Lane Johnson On IR With Lisfranc Sprain
NOVEMBER 22: As it turns out, Johnson will avoid placement on injured reserve. Per McLane, the veteran right tackle won’t require surgery for the Lisfranc injury to his right foot, so the original four- to six-week prediction is no longer the expectation. The fact that he won’t end up on IR indicates a strong possibility that he will be able return within four games, making a Week 14 return the new target date.
NOVEMBER 18: X-rays will not be possible until the inflammation in Johnson’s ankle subsides, McLane notes. As a result, it could be one week or more until a determination regarding surgery is ultimately made.
NOVEMBER 17: The Eagles pulled off a 16-9 win over the Lions on Sunday, but they lost one of their best players in the process. Right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and will miss four to six weeks, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.
There’s optimism that this isn’t a season-ending injury. However, it won’t be confirmed until the results of Johnson’s X-rays come back, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. At the very least, an IR placement looks like a strong possibility.
If Johnson goes on IR before the Eagles-Cowboys game this Sunday, he’ll be eligible to return in Week 16. Fred Johnson will presumably step in as the Eagles’ right tackle over the next several weeks.
Lane Johnson, 35, has evolved into a potential Hall of Famer since the Eagles chose him fourth overall in 2013. The former Oklahoma Sooner has started in all 168 career regular-season games. Johnson has picked up six Pro Bowl invitations, earned All-Pro honors five times, and won two Super Bowls along the way.
Johnson was a key part of a dominant offensive line that helped lead the Eagles to a championship last season. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has continued his standout play this year, as Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 16th among 62 qualifying OTs.
Fortunately for the Eagles, who improved to 8-2 in Week 11, they should coast to an NFC East title even without Johnson. The 3-5-1 Cowboys are well behind them, while the Commanders and Giants are a combined 5-17. However, losing Johnson could have a negative effect on Philadelphia’s chances to lock up the conference’s No. 1 seed. The 8-2 Rams are among the teams nipping at the Eagles’ heels.
Bears Place LB Tremaine Edmunds On IR
3:32pm: The Bears indeed placed Edmunds on injured reserve today as they expect him to miss four to six weeks because of his groin injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Chicago is leaving the door open for Edmunds to come back for a potential playoff run. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon will not yet be activated from IR.
Joining Edmunds on IR will be backup running back Roschon Johnson. He and recently activated fellow back Travis Homer were ruled out for tomorrow, so practice squad rusher Brittain Brown has been signed to the 53-man roster, along with practice squad linebacker Carl Jones Jr., to fill the newly vacant roster slots. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden have been designated as the Bears’ two standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the taxi squad after tomorrow’s game.
1:58pm: Although the Bears haven’t announced it, their media website indicates that they’ve placed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on IR, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears have already ruled out Edmunds for Week 12 with a groin injury.
If the Bears do put Edmunds on IR, it would require at least a four-game absence. Even if that doesn’t happen, a source told Biggs that Edmunds is likely to miss multiple weeks.
With the Bears at 7-3 and pushing for their first playoff berth since 2020, a long-term Edmunds absence would be an awful development for their defense. The career-long starter and former Bills first-round pick has been a key piece for the Bears since they signed him to a four-year, $72.5MM contract in 2023. Now in his eighth NFL season, Edmunds has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers this year.
Just 10 games into 2025, Edmunds has already matched a career high with four interceptions, and his nine passes defensed are tied for his second-highest mark. His 97.4% snap share ranks third among Bears defenders, trailing safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. With 89 tackles, Edmunds is on track to go over 100 yet again. The Virginia Tech product has recorded triple-digit tackles in all of his professional seasons, but his streak could be in jeopardy if he misses significant time.
Edmunds’ output this year has led Pro Football Focus to rank his performance 20th among 81 qualifying LBs. He and T.J. Edwards (ranked 13th) have formed a top-notch duo when healthy, though the latter is also out of commission. Multiple injuries have limited Edwards to five games this season. Edwards underwent surgery on a broken hand earlier this month, and he’ll miss his third straight game Sunday against the AFC North-leading Steelers.
Noah Sewell has filled in for Edwards, but he’s dealing with an elbow injury that will shelve him for the Pittsburgh game. That means the Bears won’t have any of their top three linebackers this week.
The injuries to Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell leave D’Marco Jackson, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite, and Amen Ogbongbemiga as the only healthy LBs on Chicago’s active roster. Ogbongbemiga is the lone member of the trio who has made an NFL start (he picked up two with the Chargers back in 2021), but he has played exclusively on special teams in two games this season.
Vikings Activate C Ryan Kelly From IR
Vikings center Ryan Kelly will return in Week 12. The team announced that it has activated Kelly from IR. He’ll head into Sunday’s game against the NFC North rival Packers without an injury designation.
Kelly spent his first nine NFL seasons in Indianapolis, where he started in all 121 appearances and made four Pro Bowls. He left for Minnesota’s two-year, $18MM offer last March.
Two concussions have limited Kelly to three games in his first season with the Vikings. They placed him on IR after his second head injury knocked him out of a Week 4 loss to the Steelers. Blake Brandel started in his absence.
Between Kelly’s concussion issues and starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s high ankle sprain earlier this season, the two haven’t had much chance to form a rapport in 2025. They paired together in the Vikings’ season-opening win over Chicago and their Week 2 loss to Atlanta. Carson Wentz was under center against Pittsburgh.
Kelly and McCarthy will reunite Sunday in an enormous game for two teams trying to keep pace with the NFC North-leading Bears (7-3). The 6-3-1 Packers are nipping at the Bears’ heels, but the 4-6 Vikings can ill afford another loss after Chicago knocked them off last week.
In addition to activating Kelly, the Vikings signed cornerback Dwight McGlothern to their practice squad and elevated him for Sunday’s game. They released running back Cam Akers from the practice squad to make room.
The Vikings quickly brought back McGlothern after waiving him on Thursday. He has played in eight of Minnesota’s games this year and totaled 47 snaps (31 on defense, 16 on special teams). Akers has made three appearances with the Vikings this season and rushed for 19 yards on five carries.
Cowboys Waive CB Kaiir Elam
The Cowboys made a trade for cornerback Kaiir Elam last March, but they’re moving on eight months later. The team announced that it has waived Elam. He’ll be free to sign anywhere if he goes unclaimed. If a team does claim Elam, it would take on the fully guaranteed $1MM left on his contract.
Elam isn’t far removed from going in the first round of the 2022 draft. The Bills traded up two spots to take Elam 23rd overall after a successful three-year run at Florida. It proved to be an ill-advised decision for Buffalo, though the team did find its No. 1 corner much later in the draft when it chose Christian Benford in the sixth round.
Elam wound up starting in 12 of 29 appearances with the Bills and totaling two interceptions. Both picks came during his rookie season. An ankle injury helped limit Elam to three games in his second year. He returned to play in 13 games in 2024, mostly working as a reserve. In his final game with the Bills, an AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs last January, Elam struggled filling in for Benford after the latter left early with a concussion.
The Bills cut the cord on Elam two months after the Chiefs knocked them out. They sent Elam and a 2025 sixth-round choice to the Cowboys for a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 seventh-rounder. While Dallas believed enough in Elam to take a cheap flier on him, it unsurprisingly declined his fifth-year option (worth around $12.68MM) not long after acquiring him.
Elam ended up starting in seven of 10 games with the Cowboys, who own the NFL’s 30th-ranked pass defense. The 24-year-old contributed to their woes, allowing 25 completions, 372 yards, and three touchdowns before the Cowboys cut him. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a 105.0 passer rating when throwing Elam’s way this season. Pro Football Focus rates his performance 61st among 108 cornerbacks.
With rookie corner Shavon Revel debuting in Week 11 after missing the Cowboys’ first nine games, Elam didn’t play a snap in their win over the Raiders on Monday. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus left Elam on the bench in favor of Revel, Caelen Carson, DaRon Bland, and Reddy Steward. Trevon Diggs could rejoin that group in the coming weeks if he returns from a concussion that forced him to IR on Oct. 25.
With Elam no longer occupying a spot, the Cowboys signed running back Malik Davis from their practice squad to their active roster on Saturday. Davis has recorded seven carries for 26 yards in four games this season. Most of his work (67 of 90 snaps) has come on special teams.
Falcons Work Out WR K.J. Osborn
The Falcons worked out veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn on Friday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. No deal has come together, and it’s unclear if the Falcons are considering signing Osborn.
Now 28 years old, Osborn entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Vikings in 2020. After going without a reception in nine games as a rookie, Osborn emerged as a weapon in the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins-led aerial attack from 2021-23. Osborn averaged 53 catches, 615 catches, and five touchdowns per season during that three-year run. He missed just one game and amassed 30 starts along the way.
While Osborn was productive in Minnesota, his success hasn’t transferred elsewhere. He left the Vikings for the Patriots’ one-year, $4MM offer in free agency in March 2024. Osborn wasn’t a fit in New England, though, as he caught just seven passes for 57 yards in seven games with the team.
With his numbers down significantly, Osborn told the Patriots he wanted a trade before last year’s deadline in November. They didn’t find a taker, but the Patriots and Osborn agreed to a mutual parting of ways a month later.
The Commanders claimed Osborn after the Patriots waived him in December. He played only one game with Washington and didn’t catch a pass. Hoping 2024 was an aberration, the Commanders re-signed Osborn last March. They ended up releasing Osborn during final cuts on Aug. 26, and he hasn’t landed elsewhere since then.
Joining the struggling Falcons (3-7) would reunite Osborn with Cousins, who’s taking over as their No. 1 signal-caller for the rest of the season. The Falcons lost starter Michael Penix Jr. to a major knee injury last week. They’ll also go without their No. 1 receiver, Drake London, against the Saints in Week 12. A PCL sprain could shelve London for multiple games.
London’s injury is especially unfortunate for an Atlanta team that has gotten little production from the rest of its wideouts. Darnell Mooney is the team’s only other receiver with double-digit catches, having pulled in 16 in eight games. That explains why the Falcons are looking outside for help.
Colts Activate CB Charvarius Ward From IR
Indianapolis is getting a major defensive piece back ahead of a crucial Week 12 showdown with the Chiefs. The Colts announced that they have activated cornerback Charvarius Ward from IR.
After the Colts opened Ward’s practice window on Wednesday, he’ll play Sunday for the first time since he suffered a concussion in warmups in Week 6. It was the second concussion of the year for Ward, who has missed six of 10 games during the Colts’ 8-2 start.
Ward, 29, revealed earlier this week that he had doubts that he’d play again after his latest concussion (via James Boyd of The Athletic). However, Ward said he’s back to normal, no longer experiencing dizziness, and “ready” to return.
Ward, whom the Colts signed to a three-year, $60MM contract last March, has held his own over four starts this season. The former Chief and 49er has recorded 13 tackles and three passes defensed. Pro Football Focus rated him as the game’s second-best corner before he went on IR.
With Ward unavailable at the time, the Colts pulled off a stunning trade with the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner on Nov. 4. He debuted with the Colts in a Week 10 win over the Falcons, leading their corners in snaps. Mekhi Blackmon acted as the Colts’ other starting boundary CB, but Ward will now slot into that spot to give the Colts an imposing duo as they come off their bye. Along with Gardner and Ward, the Colts boast an outstanding nickel corner in Kenny Moore.
While the Colts are staring at a tough remaining slate featuring matchups with several playoff contenders, having the Gardner-Ward-Moore corner trio in place should be a significant advantage. The AFC South-leading Colts will enter Sunday third in the conference, but their hope is that a shutdown secondary will help propel them to the No. 1 spot and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
With Ward returning, the Colts waived cornerback Cameron Mitchell on Saturday. The 24-year-old began the season with the Browns, but they waived him in late September. Mitchell caught on with the Colts’ practice squad and wound up appearing in four games before they cut him. He played 100 defensive snaps and picked up five tackles with Indianapolis.
NFC Injury Updates: Giants, Rams, Packers, Falcons, Seahawks
Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo will sit out Sunday’s matchup with the Lions because of a sprained MCL. It’ll be the fourth straight absence for Adebo, though the Giants haven’t placed him on IR. He was on track to play in the Giants’ loss to the Packers last week before suffering a setback in warmups, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. It’s unclear whether Adebo will be ready to return against the Patriots in Week 13. If not, he’ll have an extra week to recover with the Giants on a bye after that. Adebo missed 10 games with a broken leg in 2024, his final season with the Saints, but still scored a three-year, $54MM contract in free agency. In his first seven games with the Giants (all starts), Adebo has recorded 48 tackles and four passes defensed.
More injury updates from around the NFC…
- The Rams are “getting close” to exploring opening cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon‘s 21-day practice window, according to head coach Sean McVay (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN). Witherspoon broke his clavicle in a Week 2 win over the Titans, forcing him to go on IR. Expectations then were that Witherspoon would need 12 weeks to recover. If his timeline hasn’t changed, he could return in the first half of December. Meanwhile, McVay is optimistic that wide receiver Tutu Atwell (hamstring) will be back in the lineup in Week 13. Atwell, who has been on IR since Oct. 27, will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday.
- Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness has missed five games in a row with a foot injury. He’s officially questionable for a matchup with the rival Vikings on Sunday, but the Packers are hopeful he’ll play (via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). The former first-round pick opened the season with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first five games.
- Falcons defensive back Billy Bowman will miss Week 12 after sustaining an Achilles injury during a walk-through on Friday morning, head coach Raheem Morris revealed (via Tori McElhaney of the team’s website). Morris said it’s “not good,” which suggests Bowman is in line for a lengthy absence. It’s the second noteworthy injury of the year for Bowman, a fourth-round rookie from Oklahoma who missed three games earlier in the season with a hamstring problem. In his first six games (one start), Bowman has flashed some playmaking ability with 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble.
- The Seahawks have considered an IR stint for rookie receiver Tory Horton, head coach Mike Macdonald said (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). Macdonald revealed that information before the Seahawks’ loss to the Rams in Week 11. Horton missed that game with a shin injury, his second straight absence, and the Seahawks have ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the Titans. The fifth-round pick scored two touchdowns in his most recent appearance, a win over the Commanders in Week 9. While Horton has just 13 catches for 161 yards in eight games, he has already found the end zone six times, including once on a punt return.
- The Giants placed offensive lineman Evan Neal on IR with a hamstring issue last week. It turns out Neal suffered the injury during a workout, interim head coach Mike Kafka announced (via Duggan). The 2022 seventh overall pick and former tackle didn’t play a snap this year after a demotion to backup guard duties. It seems unlikely Neal will return in 2025. The 25-year-old is scheduled to reach free agency in the offseason at an inopportune time.
Saints Plan To Waive WR Brandin Cooks
NOVEMBER 20: While the Saints/Cooks divorce still appears to be happening, there is a slight holdup. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the move still hasn’t gone through as the two sides work through “contractual technicalities.” The wideout is still destined for the waiver wire before potentially hitting free agency.
NOVEMBER 19: Well-traveled wide receiver Brandin Cooks could land with another team in the coming days. The Saints and Cooks mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. Cooks will be free to sign anywhere if he goes through waivers unclaimed.
The move to cut Cooks came after he renegotiated his contract down, according to Underhill. He had a little over $2MM in guarantees left, including a 2026 salary of approximately $1.7MM, NewOrleans.Football colleague Mike Triplett notes.
Now 32 years old, Cooks entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Saints in 2014. After spending his first three years in New Orleans, he divided the next eight among the Patriots, Rams, Texans, and Cowboys. Cooks returned to the Saints on a two-year, $13MM pact last March.
With the Saints well out of contention, Cooks’ name came up in the rumor mill ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. A trade involving Cooks would have been his fifth. That would have set a new NFL record, but the Saints didn’t find a taker. However, one could emerge now that adding Cooks won’t require surrendering draft compensation.
The Bills, Broncos, and Steelers are among contenders that were looking for receivers before the deadline. None of those teams acquired one, which could make any of them logical landing spots for Cooks. It’s worth pointing out that Cooks began his career under Broncos head coach Sean Payton, then with the Saints.
Whether it’s Denver or another club, Cooks’ next employer will be picking up someone who has recorded 729 catches, 9,697 yards, and 60 touchdowns in 168 career regular-season games. While that’s excellent production, Cooks’ output has experienced a dramatic decline over the past couple of years.
Cooks caught 26 of 54 targets for 259 yards and three TDs in 10 games with the Cowboys last season. In his reunion with the Saints this year, Cooks grabbed 19 of 25 targets for just 165 yards and no scores. Cooks played 34 offensive snaps in a win over Carolina in Week 10, which proved to be his final game with the Saints, but rookie quarterback Tyler Shough didn’t target him.
Now that he’s leaving New Orleans, there’s a good chance Cooks will enter into a better QB situation than he had with the Saints this year or the Cowboys in 2024. Before working with the inexperienced duo of Shough and Spencer Rattler in New Orleans, Cooks mostly teamed with Cowboys backup Cooper Rush last season. He hasn’t paired with an above-average QB since Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 of 2024.
For their part, the Saints have now subtracted a pair of notable veteran receivers this month. Cooks is following Rashid Shaheed, whom the Saints traded to the Seahawks, out the door. Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Mason Tipton are the only WRs left on the Saints’ active roster.
CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens Benched For First Series Of Week 11; Latest On Pickens’ Future
NOVEMBER 20: Lamb revealed on Thursday (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News) that he and Pickens were disciplined for missing curfew the night before the game. The two were out late at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Sunday night.
NOVEMBER 18: Dallas rolled to a 33-16 win in Las Vegas on Monday, but the game started oddly for the Cowboys. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer left the Cowboys’ top two wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, on the bench for the team’s first offensive series. Both players ended up making major contributions in the Cowboys’ victory, but it was initially unclear why they didn’t start.
Owner Jerry Jones addressed the situation afterward (links via Jon Machota of The Athletic), saying Schottenheimer’s decision “had to do with meeting type discipline.” Jones added that Lamb and Pickens “had a late problem there.”
Lamb declined to discuss the matter on Monday, while Pickens said the brief benching had to do with “certain personnel” (via Machota).
Regardless of what exactly happened, it quickly became water under the bridge for Schottenheimer. The first-year HC was effusive when speaking about the receiving tandem after the game (via Todd Archer of ESPN).
Schottenheimer said that “[Lamb and Pickens] literally jump-started the offense when they got back in. They didn’t hang their heads, didn’t do any of that stuff. That’s why I love those guys, man.”
Lamb had a strong night, catching five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Pickens produced all-world numbers with nine grabs, 144 yards, and a score. They accounted for more than half of quarterback Dak Prescott‘s 25 completions and 210 of his 268 passing yards.
The Cowboys already have Lamb under wraps for the next few seasons, having signed the star WR1 to a four-year, $136MM extension in August 2024. Pickens’ future is up in the air, though, as he remains on track to reach free agency in the offseason.
Pickens had some behind-the-scenes issues, including with punctuality, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers then decided to move on from Pickens in the offseason, trading him and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Cowboys for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Aside from Schottenheimer’s minor disciplinary measure on Monday, there hasn’t been any reported drama involving Pickens since he got to Dallas. On the field, the 24-year-old is easily on pace for the best season of his career. He ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards (908), tied for third in TDs (seven), and 11th in catches (58).
Pickens is playing his way into a sizable multiyear contract, especially if he hits the open market. However, the Cowboys could place the franchise tag on Pickens if they don’t reach an agreement before March. That would cost around $29MM, and it’s reportedly an avenue the Cowboys will strongly consider. Jones seems prepared to keep Pickens one way or other.
Asked if the Cowboys could build a balanced roster with Lamb, Pickens, and a $60MM defensive tackle trio (Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark) eating up an enormous amount of cap space, Jones told 105.3 The Fan, “Yes. Yes.”
The Cowboys will enter the offseason needing to clear out roughly $47MM just to get back to even, per Over the Cap. While Jones seems unfazed, he’ll have work to do to open up spending room to retain Pickens and address other needs on the roster.