Atlanta Falcons Get Official Word On Michael Penix Injury Status

FLOWERY BRANCH – As the Atlanta Falcons kick off training camp, they have officially confirmed that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not be cleared for contact and team drills.

"We don't know exactly when that will happen," Stefanski said. "In the mean time, he's working very, very hard. He's attacking this, and I appreciate that. This is all part of the plan moving forward. He's hitting every single checkpoint. I'm very confident in him."

Penix, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 11 of last season, has been slowly working to recover from the injury all offseason. His surgery took place in December, putting him on a theorized nine-month recovery timeline – placing him back in a full-capacity status by the end of August.

The third-year quarterback made several assurances that he would be ready to go for Week 1, and he reiterated that during offseason activities later on. Stefanski confirmed that Penix was hitting “every milestone” in his recovery, but the full clearance had not yet come.

Penix was then a limited participant during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but he was involved in everything except team (11-on-11) drills.

“I feel great,” Penix said during mandatory minicamp in May. “I feel really good right now. I just say as long as nobody falls into my leg right now. But I feel great. I feel like I’m right where I need to be. And I’m going to keep taking strides to continue to get better each and every day.”

Stefanski, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt have been working diligently with Penix, despite his pending injury status. Penix, meanwhile, maintained that he would be ready to go by the time the Falcons head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers.

Standing in his way of that is newcomer Tua Tagovailoa. The veteran quarterback was added this offseason to provide some competition for Penix, and he is expected to be the frontrunner for the job after taking the reins during the offseason portion of Stefanski's first season at the helm. The Falcons' head coach made it clear that jobs are not won in June, but Penix's health will remain a major factor until he is officially cleared for full participation.

Should those concerns continue much further into camp, then the Falcons’ quarterback battle in Flowery Branch may find a conclusion before it even has a chance to get started.

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