Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or Spencer Rattler

Friday, February 6, 7:48 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) said on the Up & Adams Show on Friday that his recovery from knee surgery is a "little bit" ahead of schedule. Penix suffered a torn left ACL in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, but he's hoping he'll be ready to roll for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall. The 25-year-old has already recovered from two ACL tears in his right knee in college, so he's pretty familiar with the rehab process. He's been attacking his rehab diligently since having surgery on Nov. 25, but there's no guarantee that Penix will be ready for Week 1, making him an extremely volatile QB2 target in fantasy football drafts this fall. Before his knee injury, the former eighth overall pick out of Washington was extremely inconsistent in nine starts in his first year as the full-time starter, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine TDs, and three picks.

Sunday, January 4, 11:57 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (right finger) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the wrong direction after missing all three practices this past week. The 25-year-old has been operating as the backup quarterback behind Tyler Shough ever since Week 9. As a result, Shough remains the starter for Sunday's regular-season finale while Jake Haener steps into the backup role. Haener hasn't played an offensive snap this year, but he did complete 18 of 39 pass attempts for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in 2024. Haener and Taysom Hill would be candidates to earn quarterback snaps if Shough leaves the game for any reason.