The knee injury that knocked QB Michael Penix Jr. out of Sunday's loss to the Panthers might end his season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Atlanta announced after this initial posting that Penix is headed to IR, meaning he'll miss at least four games. The Falcons already sit 3-7, so it's tough to imagine bringing Penix back in a month making much sense.

Falcons QB Michael Penix suffered a knee injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Panthers and is questionable to return. We'll update his status when we know more. Penix will be replaced by QB Kirk Cousins.

Falcons QB Michael Penix is "day to day" with a bone bruise to his foot suffered in Sunday night's loss to the 49ers, HC Raheem Morris said Monday. It sounds like Penix has a chance to be ready for this weekend's game against the Dolphins, but we'll keep a close eye on his status throughout the week. A healthy Penix would have been a viable Week 8 spot starter against a bad Miami defense, but he'd be tougher to trust playing through this foot injury. If Penix can't go, Atlanta would turn to QB Kirk Cousins, who would also be a low-end matchup-based fantasy option.

Saints QB Derek Carr has announced he'll retire. We already knew there was a chance he'd miss some or all of the coming season because of an injury to his right shoulder. But this news obviously heightens the importance of rookie QB Tyler Shough's quick development and/or another plan for a "bridge" starter.

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins is expected to be released before a $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Cousins' contract includes a no-trade clause, and he'd reportedly wield it after Atlanta surprised Cousins by using the eighth overall pick of the draft on QB Michael Penix after signing Cousins to a big deal. Cousins played like a 36-year-old coming off an Achilles injury for much of this season, tossing a career-high 16 INTs. That said, there will be plenty of teams looking to upgrade at QB this offseason, and the rookie class is relatively weak. That gives Cousins a reasonable chance to open the 2025 season with a starting job. He's worth keeping stashed in 2-QB and Superflex dynasty leagues.

The Falcons acquired WR Rondale Moore from the Cardinals in exchange for QB Desmond Ridder. Moore is coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign, mustering just 40 catches for 352 yards and one TD over 17 games. He struggled with injuries over his first two NFL seasons but averaged 4.3 catches and 39 yards per game. Still only 23, Moore has a chance to rebound with the Falcons. But he was a low average-target-depth player in college and has remained so as a pro, so he needs significant volume to deliver in fantasy. That'll be tough to find in Atlanta alongside WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts, and RB Bijan Robinson. The Falcons also added WR Darnell Mooney to the pass-catching corps in free agency. It's a solid group for QB Kirk Cousins. Ridder, meanwhile, will be no threat to QB Kyler Murray in Arizona. Ridder is only worth rostering in deeper superflex dynasty leagues.

QB Kirk Cousins posted video on Monday of him dropping back and throwing passes. He's about four months removed from his torn Achilles and has had a setback-free recovery by all accounts. "Encouraged by the progress," Cousins wrote. He and the Vikings are reportedly in talks on a contract extension ahead of March 12, when Cousins' current contract will void. Turning 36 in August and coming off a significant injury, Cousins is a bit of a wildcard heading into 2024. But he remained very effective before last year's injury, completing 69.5% of his passes and ranking fourth in Pro Football Focus passing grade.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is feared to have torn his Achilles in Sunday's win over the Packers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's typically easy for doctors to diagnose a torn Achilles without any imaging. We should get confirmation tomorrow, but Cousins' 2023 season is very likely over. His absence would leave Minnesota with QBs Jaren Hall and Sean Mannion. QB Nick Mullens is currently on IR with a back injury but is eligible to return. Regardless, Cousins' injury is horrible news for Minnesota's skill-position players.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins suffered a right ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Packers. He put no weight on the leg getting off the field and was carted to the locker room. We'll update Cousins' status when we know more. He's been replaced by rookie QB Jaren Hall.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for just 181 yards and 1 TD in the first game since losing WR Justin Jefferson to a hamstring injury. He took just 2 sacks and avoided throwing any INTs against the Bears. But Cousins did fumble twice, losing one of them. Rain didn't turn out to be an issue, and the wind didn't appear strong enough to be the whole problem here. Throw in how poorly the Chicago defense had played through the first five weeks, and this marks a worrisome performance -- especially with the 49ers coming to town in Week 7. Cousins already sits well outside the top 12 in our Week 7 QB rankings.

The Vikings will be placing WR Justin Jefferson on IR for the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. That means he'll miss at least the next four games. Jefferson's absence will obviously leave a bunch of targets for his Vikings teammates. Jefferson drew 47 through the first four games, 30% of QB Kirk Cousins' total attempts over that span. That makes rookie WR Jordan Addison a weekly starting candidate over the next month. He drew a season-high 9 targets in the K.C. game, reaching 6 receptions for the second time in three weeks. It also makes WR K.J. Osborn worth picking up in many leagues. But there's also a chance Jefferson's absence shifts the offensive approach. Minnesota leads the league in pass attempts through five weeks, sits tied for the lead in pass rate, and ranks third in pass rate over expected. Losing Jefferson figures to hurt the offense overall and could push a little more work to the running game. We're certainly not upgrading RB Alexander Mattison for this, but we'll be watching the offense's reaction over the next couple of weeks. Cousins clearly loses upside with the absence of arguably the league's best WR. Fortunately for him -- and fantasy managers -- the Vikings visit a bad Bears defense in the first game without Jefferson. That will help everyone's fantasy outlooks. An ominous Monday night date with the 49ers waits on the other side of that, however.

Vikings TE Irv Smith (ankle) has been designated to return from IR. He's been out since going down with a significant high-ankle sprain in Week 8. Minnesota, of course, swung a deal for TE T.J. Hockenson since then. Smith's return could be a slight boost to the Vikings passing game, but he won't be a fantasy factor in the regular season or playoffs, barring a Hockenson injury.