Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. gives timeline for return
· Yahoo Sports
The Atlanta Falcons began training camp without their top two quarterbacks on Wednesday morning. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are both battling injuries, leaving undrafted free agent Jack Strand and veteran Cooper Rush to take the 11-on-11 reps.
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Penix has yet to be cleared for contact as he recovers from an ACL injury. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa is dealing with a minor undisclosed injury (reportedly a back issue). Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tua is expected back soon but Penix's future is less clear.
The former top-10 pick out of Washington met with reporters following Wednesday's practice and said it could be a few more weeks before he is totally cleared.
"Another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage," said Penix. "But at the same time, it could be earlier," he said. "It really just depends on how my body is going throughout this whole camp process."
Penix said when he saw his doctor that the timeline they gave was "another four weeks, probably, before going to the next stage."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) July 29, 2026
"But at the same time, it could be earlier," he said. "It really just depends on how my body is going throughout this whole camp process." https://t.co/9c5Z75Dwsy
The Falcons are being cautious with Penix, who's currently working back from his third career ACL injury. Even though he's been through this process before, Penix knows it's important not to rush back, as much as he might want to.
"I feel like your health is the most important," added Penix. "And, for me, I want to take that seriously. Obviously, I have a long injury history, so the last thing I want to do is try to rush back just to get out on the field. I want to make sure my body is healthy so that whenever I do get on the field, I can give this team 100 percent."
The Falcons released veteran Trevor Siemian on Wednesday morning and signed Cooper Rush to his spot. However, it was Strand who took the majority of reps at Wednesday's practice. Penix still participated in 7-on-7s and individual drills, as you can see below.
#Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. with a beauty of a pass to rookie Zachariah Branch for a TD today in practice. 👌pic.twitter.com/VsaBi9irxE
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 29, 2026
Keep your eyes on the Falcons quarterback battle going forward, because it seems a long way from settled.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. gives timeline for return