Falcons QB Michael Penix Expecting Clearance ‘Real Soon’

Penix, the Falcons’ No. 8 overall pick in 2024, saw his first season as a full-time starter come to an early end when a partially torn ACL forced him to undergo season-ending surgery. Through nine starts, he had underwhelmed with a 3-6 record and a completion percentage of 60.1 while averaging about 220 yards per game. Penix impressed with his ability to keep the ball out of harms way with only three interceptions, but an average of one touchdown per game did not prove to be very efficient.

The Falcons have been bringing Penix back to health slowly and patiently this offseason. Over the last few weeks, he’s worked his way up through team drills, getting cleared for 1-on-1s and 7-on-7s. When he had reported to training camp at the end of July, Penix relayed that his doctor wanted to keep him at the level of clearance he was at for another four weeks before clearing him for anything more. That window is coming to a close, and Penix is starting to look forward to what comes next.

“I know that call will be coming up soon,” Penix told reporters yesterday. “Talk to my doctor, see where he thinks I am, see how he feels about everything, and then we will go from there.”

Penix explained that, currently, he feels confident that he could sidestep a pass rusher if one was coming at him, but if he isn’t able to get away, his medical team isn’t ready for him to be taking those hits at this time. He believes that time will be coming “real soon,” though. When asked what “real soon” meant, more specifically, Penix deferred to “whatever (his doctor) says…it’s going to be.” His next scheduled meeting with his doctor is Thursday, and while Penix will be hoping for the best, he claims he will not question their decision.

The man Penix is attempting to hold off for the starting job is former Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa. His fellow southpaw was shaky in his Falcons debut in the first week of the preseason. Because of this, it seems the starting competition is still wide open for Penix to come back in and retain his job from last year. In fact, he may be favored for the job whenever he does come back. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, despite his status, Penix has taken more 7-on-7 reps that Tagovailoa, though the coaching staff could simply be attempting to even out the snap disparity from Penix’s absence in full team drills.

As long as Tagovailoa leaves any room for doubt, Penix should have a decent chance to hold him off for the starting job. In order for him to do so, though, he needs to get cleared. If Thursday’s meeting leads to good news, Penix will have two weeks (with one preseason game) to secure his position. If the doctor decides to continue progressing slowly, though, the Falcons may be forced to move forward with Tagovailoa without a competition.