Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. exited Sunday night’s 30-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens late in the fourth quarter due to a rib injury. Penix indicated he does not expect the issue to be long-term.
“Knowing me, I’m going to be ready to go next week because I’ve sat out enough in my career, but I’m going to do everything I can in the training room to make sure I get back where I want to be,” Penix said.
With 27 seconds remaining and the score tied, Penix was sacked by Baltimore linebacker Tavius Robinson. He briefly stayed down but walked off under his own power. Backup Tua Tagovailoa entered for one snap before Penix reentered the game.
Despite Penix’s return, the Falcons were forced to punt, and the game proceeded to overtime. Tagovailoa subsequently threw an interception to Kyle Hamilton with 2:11 left, ending the contest.
Penix noted that if the Falcons had possessed the ball to start overtime, he likely would have returned. However, sitting on the bench during a lengthy Ravens drive caused the discomfort to worsen as he grew cold.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski explained that Penix was attempting to get comfortable on the bench but was unable to do so.
“It’s frustrating, but the biggest thing is just wanting to be out there, especially in a big moment in a game like that. I just felt like I needed to be out there,” Penix said.
Penix returned in Week 3 after recovering from left ACL surgery. This marked his third ACL operation overall, having previously torn his right ACL twice during his college career.
The Falcons’ offense struggled significantly in the first two weeks with both Penix and Tagovailoa sidelined by injury. Third-string quarterback Cooper Rush guided the team to just 16 points across Weeks 1 and 2. Since Penix’s return, Atlanta has scored 80 points combined in his first two starts.
Through 32 passing attempts on Sunday, Penix completed 19 for 240 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions before exiting due to injury.
“I hope he’s great,” Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said of Penix. “I hope it’s maybe just a bruise or something like that, and it just felt a little like that in the moment, but I just pray he’s all right. I know the whole team does.”
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