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NFL news roundup: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. cleared to return to 11-on-11 work

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. cleared to return to 11-on-11 work after injury, while several other players were ruled out or placed on injured reserve.

First seen Aug 22, 2026 · 10:04 PM UTC · last updated Aug 23 4:05 AM

Scoring Zone's Take

Michael Penix Jr. is the clear signal in this cluster: he's been cleared to return to 11-on-11 work after a groin injury, which is a positive developmental note for a quarterback still working to lock down the Falcons' starting job in his second season. For draft purposes, this removes a red flag that could have lingered into camp battles — if he's practicing fully, he stays on track to be evaluated as a starter-caliber QB with rushing upside, and you can keep him in the QB2/late-round streamer conversation for redraft leagues, with dynasty managers able to stay patient on his long-term outlook. Confidence here is solid at 80%, though "cleared for 11-on-11" still means you should watch camp reports for snap counts and any setback before fully banking on him as a Week 1 lock.

The rest of the names in this cluster — Dinkins, Anusiem, Gilman, Thomas, Ester, McCloud, Sewell, Bond, Hicks, Rickert, Bobo, Stribling, Niese, Williams, Johnson, Woodaz, Slater, Gillikin, Jackson, Lenoir, McMillan, Ossai, Smith, and Reiger — are lumped into a vague "ruled out or placed on injured reserve" designation with no individual details provided. Without specifics on injury type, severity, or expected recovery timeline for any of these players, there's no actionable fantasy read here beyond flagging them for monitoring during camp. Do not proactively drop or downgrade any of them off this report alone; instead, treat this as a cue to track beat reporting on each name before finalizing depth charts or draft boards, since IR/OUT designations in August often reflect roster churn rather than season-altering injuries.

NFL news roundup: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. cleared to return to 11-on-11 work

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INJURIES

  • P Blake Gillikin (groin) is questionable to return to Saturday's preseason game against the Cowboys.

INJURIES

  • QB Michael Penix Jr. has been cleared to return to 11-on-11 work, head coach Kevin Stefanski said.

INJURIES

  • LB Jamon Johnson (thumb) was ruled out of Saturday's game against the Vikings.

OTHER NEWS

  • Baltimore will honor the late O.J. Brigance with a helmet decal during the 2026 season. Brigance, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens before battling ALS, died this week at the age of 56.

INJURIES

  • LB Nephi Sewell was carted off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury in Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals.

INJURIES

  • WR Isaiah Bond was evaluated for a concussion against Buffalo.

INJURIES

  • OL Michael Niese was carted off with an apparent injury against Washington. He was spotted leaving the locker room on crutches, per local reporters.

INJURIES

  • LB K.C. Ossai was placed on injured reserve.
  • LB Wade Woodaz is dealing with a broken thumb, coach DeMeco Ryans said.

INJURIES

  • DE Tyreke Smith (hamstring) was ruled out of Saturday's preseason game against the Buccaneers.
  • S Alohi Gilman (back) was ruled out of Saturday's preseason game.

INJURIES

  • CB Chigozie Anusiem was placed on injured reserve.

INJURIES

  • OT Rashawn Slater returned to Chargers practice Saturday in a limited capacity. Slater missed a number of practices due to an undisclosed injury. The tackle missed the 2025 with a knee injury.

ROSTER CUTS

  • WR Mario Williams was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement.

INJURIES

  • LB Daniel Rickert (knee) was ruled out of Saturday's preseason game against the Saints.
  • LB Keir Thomas (groin) was ruled of out Saturday's preseason game.

WAIVERS

  • CB Jai'Onte' McMillan was claimed off waivers from the Colts.

ROSTER CUTS

  • DE Mason Reiger was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement.
  • CB Nick McCloud

INJURIES

  • DT James Ester reverted to injured reserve after being waived with an injury designation.

INJURIES

  • RB Ja'Quinden Jackson has strength and movement in all of his extremities after suffering an injury during the opening kickoff of Saturday's preseason game versus the Patriots and has been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, the team announced. Jackson was seen to by medical staff after getting injured making the tackle, placed on a stretcher and left the field in an ambulance.

SIGNINGS

  • TE Khalil Dinkins re-signed on a three-year deal.

ROSTER CUTS

  • DL Xavier Thomas was waived with an injury designation.

INJURIES

  • WR De'Zhaun Stribling (shoulder) is day to day, per local reporters.
  • CB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder) is day to day, per local reporters.

INJURIES

  • WR Jake Bobo (knee) was placed on injured reserve. Bobo suffered a "serious" injury in Friday's practice, coach Mike Macdonald said.

SIGNINGS

  • WR Julian Hicks
Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · by Around the NFL Staff · Aug 22, 2026 · read original