Michael Penix Jr. Takes the Reins as Falcons Finally Find 'QB Health'

The Atlanta Falcons are finally rolling out a healthy quarterback room for Thursday Night Football, which is a minor miracle considering their recent medical charts. According to Ian Rapoport, Michael Penix Jr. will get the start tonight against the Green Bay Packers, with Tua Tagovailoa active as his backup.

Hearing the phrase "at last, QB health" associated with a room containing Tagovailoa and Penix is objectively hilarious. That is like saying "at last, structural integrity" while looking at a Jenga tower during a minor earthquake.

"Ian Rapoport tweeted: 'The #Falcons will start Michael Penix Jr tonight and Tua Tagovailoa will backup. At last, QB health.'"

Tagovailoa has been sidelined since September 10 with an oblique injury, forcing him to miss the first two weeks of the season. He is finally off the injury report, but the Falcons are opting to keep him on the sideline in favor of their young star.

Penix is making his own highly anticipated return after suffering a torn ACL last November. The team has been extremely cautious with his recovery timeline, but throwing him into a prime-time matchup against Green Bay means they think the knee is fully ready for live fire.

Atlanta desperately needs a spark after what happened last Sunday. With both Penix and Tagovailoa unavailable, the Falcons had to trot out Cooper Rush, which resulted in a 34-3 absolute cratering against the Carolina Panthers.

For anyone looking at the game totals tonight, the math completely changes when you swap out a third-stringer for a first-round talent with a cannon. The Packers defense now has to prepare for a vertical passing game that simply did not exist in Atlanta a week ago.

Tagovailoa is active and just one awkward hit or rusty series away from having to take his helmet off the hook. If Penix looks sharp, this is his team moving forward. If he struggles, the Falcons have the most overqualified backup in the league waiting to step in.