The Atlanta Falcons have placed quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on injured reserve following his recent injury. In response, the team has named Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback. Easton Stick has been signed to the active roster as the backup, while Kyle Trask joins the practice squad as an emergency third quarterback.
The official announcement regarding Penix’s move to injured reserve was made Wednesday, ahead of the Falcons’ Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome.
Inside linebacker Divine Deablo has also been designated to return from injured reserve. Head coach Raheem Morris confirmed earlier in the week that this move was expected and now it is official. Deablo’s 21-day window to return has opened, meaning Atlanta must either activate him or place him on season-ending injured reserve by Wednesday of Week 15.
“I expect to see him,” Morris said Wednesday. “I don’t want act like we’re going to activate him and not see him. I hope we’re going to see him unless something otherwise says something different.”
Stick, who was originally signed by Atlanta in April and then moved to the practice squad after roster cuts, last played live action in 2023 for the Los Angeles Chargers. That year he appeared in five games—starting four—and completed 111 of 174 passes for 1,129 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He averaged a completion rate of nearly 64 percent and about 226 yards per game.
His only other NFL appearance came in 2020 with a single pass completed for four yards.
Although Stick’s practice reps have been limited due to his previous third-string status, he expressed readiness if called upon: “You just got to be able to go out there and play well on Sunday,” Stick said. “That’s part of it. But yeah, we’ll be comfortable. I think we all are. Every week, it can look a little bit different, and we’ll do the best we can preparing and be ready to go.”
Kyle Trask most recently served as a backup for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers between 2022 and 2024, appearing in seven games with four completions out of eleven attempts for twenty-eight yards before being released prior to this season.
With these changes implemented, Atlanta held its first Week 12 practice on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s scheduled game against New Orleans at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Falcons currently hold a record of three wins and seven losses; New Orleans stands at two wins and eight losses.
