Who Should I Start? Baker Mayfield or Michael Penix Jr.

Wednesday, November 26, 5:39 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) was held out of the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday with a low-grade AC joint sprain in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. Mayfield was seen wearing a sling on his left arm in the second half of Sunday night's loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but he has a chance to play in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday if he can get back onto the practice field later this week. In the event that the 30-year-old veteran isn't ready to play, the Buccaneers are preparing veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater to start in practice this week. Mayfield's ability to play this weekend could be tied to pain management. He's one of the toughest QBs in the league, so if it comes down to that, he'll probably be out there, but he'd be more of a high-end QB2 for fantasy football at likely less than 100%.

Wednesday, November 26, 1:06 PM

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said on Wednesday that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) had successful surgery on his knee on Tuesday, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Penix had full reconstructive surgery to fix a partially torn ACL in his left knee, which will keep him out for the rest of this season and possibly for the start of the 2026 season next fall. The 25-year-old second-year signal-caller is facing a nine-month recovery, which will force Atlanta to rethink its long-term plan at the QB position this offseason. This is Penix's third ACL reconstruction in his career after he had two knee surgeries in college. Kirk Cousins will start the rest of the year under center for the Falcons, but depending on how he finishes the season, the Falcons could opt out of the final two seasons of his four-year deal.