University of Washington Professional Athletes

Michael Penix Jr. Is Having His Moment — and It's Just Getting Started

Michael Penix Jr. turned a statement win into a statement week. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback torched the San Francisco 49ers for 213 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 29-20 victory, earning him his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in the process. It's the kind of individual recognition that signals a player has arrived — and for the former Husky, the timing couldn't be more loaded.

This Sunday, Penix and the Falcons travel to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, where they'll face the Buccaneers — and Penix will take the field as an NFL starter in his hometown for the very first time. The storyline writes itself: a kid from the Tampa area, now the centerpiece of one of the NFC's more intriguing offenses, stepping into familiar territory under an entirely new spotlight. Penix has credited new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees with helping him operate more freely within the Falcons system, and the 49ers performance offered the clearest proof yet that the pairing is clicking.

The moment is earned. It's also uncharted. Penix has said he's ready.

Budda Baker: Deadpan at the Deadline

If Penix represents UW's brightest NFL headline this week, Budda Baker represents its most complicated. The Cardinals safety — a 10-year veteran and former All-Pro — is at the center of intensifying trade deadline speculation as November 10 approaches. Arizona has the look of a seller, and Baker's name keeps surfacing.

Baker's public response has been characteristically composed, if deliberately opaque. He hasn't asked to be traded. He also hasn't asked not to be traded. When pressed, he said his focus is on the Cowboys — not the rumor mill — and he made that point on Friday while wearing a Halloween costume to his press conference, which is either a masterclass in deflection or just a guy who refuses to let trade drama ruin the holiday. Possibly both.

The situation remains genuinely uncertain. Baker has been a cornerstone of the Cardinals organization since being drafted in the second round in 2017, but with the team's record and direction, this week's deadline could mark a crossroads for one of the most decorated Huskies in recent NFL history.

Around the Rest of the Pack

Elsewhere in the UW alumni landscape, Falcons rookie defensive tackle Anterio Thompson received devastating news this week: a genetic mutation in his spinal cord has ended his NFL career before it began. The 24-year-old announced the diagnosis on Instagram. It's a sobering sidebar to Atlanta's otherwise encouraging week.

In Denver, running back Jonah Coleman flashed on his return from injured reserve, rushing nine times for 54 yards and adding two catches for 15 more in the Broncos' 30-16 win over Arizona — the same game in which Baker was quietly facing his future. Coleman's performance has injected him into a crowded backfield conversation heading into the Chiefs rematch.

On the Rams, both cornerback Trent McDuffie and center Coleman Shelton were listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Chargers, a notable injury cloud over two starters from the same program.

It was a full week on the Husky NFL front — one led by a hometown hero moment in the making and shadowed by a trade clock that keeps ticking.

The Kyler Gordon Show

Forty years is a long time to wait for a cornerback to do something. But the University of Washington's Kyler Gordon didn't just check a historical box — he announced himself as one of the most disruptive defenders in the NFL over a two-week stretch that nobody saw coming.

In Week 6, returning from injury for his first regular-season action of 2026, Gordon put up three sacks against the Atlanta Falcons in Chicago's 31-23 victory — a performance Sports Illustrated described as one that "hasn't been seen in the NFL in 40 years." A cornerback, not an edge rusher, not a linebacker — a cornerback, dropping into the backfield three times and coming away with a sack each time. He also forced a fumble. It was the kind of game that makes defensive coordinators around the league quietly rethink their game plans.

After the win, Gordon called the return "everything I wanted," per Pro Football Talk. Given the missed time over the previous two seasons, the weight behind those words wasn't hard to feel.

He didn't stop there. In Week 7, Gordon added another sack as the Bears knocked off New England 30-24 on Thursday night, moving Chicago to one of the more dangerous defensive squads in the conference. Gordon has already set a lofty sack goal for the full season — and after four sacks in two games, he's well on his way to making that look reasonable rather than delusional.

For context on just how unusual this is: the Bears are getting their pass-rush production from a cornerback at a moment when they're also expecting Montez Sweat back at defensive end. The defense isn't leaning on Gordon as a stopgap — it's leaning into what he's become.

Gordon's Bears Teammates Hold Up Their End

Gordon wasn't the only Husky making noise in Chicago's wins. Wide receiver Rome Odunze, also a UW alum, contributed across both games — three catches for 39 yards in Week 6, and four catches for 69 yards in the Week 7 win over New England. The Bears' offense and defense are increasingly dotted with former Huskies doing real work.

Around the Rest of the League

Michael Penix Jr. had a mixed Week 6. The Falcons quarterback threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears, numbers that look fine in isolation — but Atlanta still lost 31-23, and Penix continues to face scrutiny over his overall development. Former Falcon Roddy White stressed publicly what improvements Penix needs to make to take the next step, and the 49ers' defensive coordinator was already scouting him ahead of a Week 7 matchup.

Bralen Trice, who played in Atlanta's Week 6 loss to Chicago, was released by the Falcons shortly after, with the team signing linebacker Charles Snowden to take his roster spot. The cut drew interest from the 49ers, among others.

Puka Nacua and Trent McDuffie both entered Week 7 listed as questionable for the Rams, with McDuffie's absence potentially a significant blow to Los Angeles's secondary. The Rams faced the Raiders on Sunday.

Denzel Boston hauled in one catch for 15 yards in Cleveland's 13-10 win over Baltimore in Week 6 — a small contribution in a tight, low-scoring AFC North battle.

Jonah Coleman, the Broncos' rookie running back and another Husky, remained sidelined but returned to practice, with Denver's coaching staff expressing optimism about his availability. Per CBS Sports, Coleman is the only Broncos draft pick from 2026 to see game action so far — making his return all the more critical for a Denver offense searching for a spark.

The Matchup No One Saw Coming

When the Atlanta Falcons travel to Chicago for Week 6, they'll bring more than an NFC rivalry — they'll bring a University of Washington subplot that Purple Reign diehards won't want to miss. Michael Penix Jr. has been cleared to start against the Bears after absorbing a brutal hit in the pocket during Atlanta's 30-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. On the other sideline, cornerback Kyler Gordon was activated off the PUP list Saturday, setting up his 2026 season debut — directly opposite the Huskies' most prominent NFL quarterback.

It's a rare alumni face-off, and both players are coming in with something to prove.

Penix Plays Through Pain

Penix exited in the fourth quarter of Sunday Night Football against Baltimore after taking a big shot that left him sidelined for overtime, where backup Tua Tagovailoa threw the game-sealing interception to hand the Falcons the loss. The rib injury immediately raised questions about Atlanta's Week 6 availability, but Penix was cleared to play on Friday, per the Falcons' final injury report.

In the game he did finish, the UW product was efficient: 240 passing yards, one touchdown, and eight rushing yards — not enough, ultimately, but a reminder of why Atlanta handed him the keys. Despite questions swirling around the Falcons' depth behind him, Penix is the guy, and he'll take the field in Chicago.

The Sporting News flagged that the Bears' defense could be in real trouble against Penix's arm — making Gordon's season debut all the more consequential.

Gordon Returns to Action

The Bears activated Gordon from the physically unable to perform list Saturday, cutting veteran safety Xavier Woods to clear the roster spot. Gordon had been absent all season, and head coach Ben Johnson had been cagey about his timeline — until this week, when the calculus changed ahead of a game against a quarterback Gordon knows from their shared days in Seattle.

Gordon, a second-round pick out of Washington in 2022, profiles as a physical, press-capable corner. His return gives Chicago's secondary a much-needed infusion ahead of what figures to be a difficult afternoon against Penix.

Around the Husky Nation

The Penix-Gordon matchup headlines the week, but other UW alums were busy in Week 5:

• Byron Murphy Jr. (Vikings, CB) had the best statistical performance of any Husky, logging two interceptions in Minnesota's 23-13 win over the Saints. Murphy continues to be one of the most productive UW products in the league.
• Denzel Boston (Browns, WR) caught three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown in Cleveland's 12-17 loss to the Jets — a bright spot in a losing effort.
• Rome Odunze (Bears, WR) pulled in three catches for 40 yards in Chicago's 7-31 blowout loss to the Packers in Week 5, a rough result that makes Sunday's game against Atlanta a must-win tone-setter.
• Trent McDuffie (Rams, CB) is listed as questionable for the Rams' Week 6 game against the Cardinals after suffering a groin injury in Thursday's practice. The $124 million All-Pro's availability is uncertain, per coach Sean McVay.

The Week 6 Falcons-Bears game kicks off with two Dawgs on opposite sides of the ball — and the results will matter for both playoff pushes.

Michael Penix Jr. Is Making Atlanta Forget Every Quarterback Debate

The Michael Penix Jr. era in Atlanta isn't just alive — it's thriving. The former UW signal-caller has completely revived a Falcons offense that looked rudderless earlier this season, and CBS Sports reports Atlanta has led the league in scoring over the last two weeks with Penix under center. The latest evidence came Monday night in New Orleans, where Penix orchestrated a 45-24 dismantling of the Saints — throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown while the offense controlled the game from wire to wire.

The wins weren't flukes, either. Back-to-back blowouts of the Packers and Saints have quieted any Tua Tagovailoa trade speculation and established Penix as Atlanta's unquestioned starter. Sports Illustrated noted the offense looked "unstoppable on the ground and efficient through the air" in the Saints rout, with Bijan Robinson complementing Penix's efficiency to create a genuine two-headed threat. Next up: a Week 5 showdown with Baltimore — a defense stiff enough that ex-Ravens DBs are already urging scheme adjustments to slow the Huskies product down. That's the kind of opponent respect that signals a real moment, not a mirage.

---

Vita Vea: Tampa's Misery Is Someone Else's Opportunity

While the Falcons are surging, Vea's Buccaneers are sinking — and that mismatch is creating one of the trade deadline's most compelling subplots. Tampa sits at 0-4 after losses to the Packers and Cowboys, and with the 49ers rolling at 4-0, Matt Barrows of The Athletic has identified Vea as a trade target San Francisco is monitoring. Richard Sherman went further, publicly urging the 49ers to pull the trigger on the dominant nose tackle.

The calculus is straightforward: a playoff-caliber team can get one of the game's premier run-stuffers from a seller. Sports Illustrated has also floated a cheaper Bucs alternative if the 49ers balk at Vea's price, but Sherman's endorsement signals the interest is real. For UW fans, the prospect of Vea — still among the most disruptive interior linemen in football — landing on a Super Bowl contender before the October deadline is worth watching closely.

---

Kyler Gordon's Season Hangs in the Balance

In Chicago, the Kyler Gordon situation has gone from concerning to genuinely urgent. Gordon has been on the PUP list, and Heavy Sports reported this week that his window to return before the season closes for good is shrinking fast. The Bears made a final roster decision before their Week 5 matchup against Green Bay, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been mapping out how to reintegrate Gordon if he does return.

The stakes inside the locker room are real: Sports Illustrated notes Gordon's return would disrupt the current starting spots of Malik Muhammad and Tyrique Stevenson, creating a depth chart shakeup in Chicago's secondary. For a Bears defense still finding its footing, Gordon's experience and reliability would be a meaningful upgrade — but only if he can beat the clock.

---

Around the Rest of the Huddle

Rome Odunze had his best game of the young season in the Bears' Week 4 win over the Jets, hauling in six catches for 94 yards. Budda Baker snagged an interception for the Cardinals in their loss to the Giants. And Denzel Boston earned recognition from CBS Sports as one of the standout non-first-round rookies in the league this season — a quiet but promising development for the Browns wideout out of Seattle.