Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. In Line To Start Vs. Bears Barring Setbacks After Rib Injury, Kevin Stefanski Says

The rib injury that sidelined Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for overtime of a “Sunday Night Football” defeat to the Baltimore Ravens last week isn’t expected to keep him out of this week’s game against the Chicago Bears.

Although the injury was likely going to limit Penix in practice on Wednesday, the third-year pro is on track to start Sunday at home versus the 3-2 Bears, Kevin Stefanski told reporters.

When asked directly if Penix will start the Week 6 matchup, Stefanski said, “Yes.”

“As long as everything goes according to plan,” the first-year Falcons head coach qualified.

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Injuries have been a thorn in Penix’s side throughout his football life — long before he even reached the league, too.

He missed the first two contests of the season while working his way back to game action from a partially torn ACL that required season-ending surgery last year. That setback marked the 26-year-old's fifth season-ending injury in the span of eight seasons between his college and NFL careers.

In his absences this season, the 2-3 Falcons have turned to a collection of different signal-callers. Atlanta was going to start former Miami Dolphins QB1 Tua Tagovailoa in its season opener at Pittsburgh; however, Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury in practice leading up to that game. He was ruled out, and veteran backup Cooper Rush started in his place.

Rush, though, dealt with back spasms prior to that start and threw two interceptions, including a fourth-quarter pick-6, in a one-score defeat. Rush was tabbed the starter for Week 2 as well, but he was replaced by undrafted rookie and former Division II standout Jack Strand in a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Penix’s return the following week sparked Atlanta’s early-season turnaround. The Falcons bounced back from an 0-2 start with back-to-back victories. They authored a pair of statement-making wins on the road, combining for 80 points while taking down the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints. Along the way, Penix completed 73.3% of his attempts and passed for 479 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

While his completion rate dipped versus the Ravens last time out, he threw for 240 yards and a touchdown in a game the Falcons led 23-15 late in the fourth quarter.

After Baltimore’s Tyler “Snoop” Huntley orchestrated a game-tying drive, Penix went down with his rib injury on a sack. After missing a play, he returned for one in the final moments of regulation. Except when overtime began, he was held out.

Following a seven-plus-minute Ravens touchdown drive, Tagovailoa tossed a game-ending interception.

Stefanski explained Wednesday that he and his coaching staff would dictate Penix’s rep count by taking the temperature on how the 2024 No. 8 overall pick was feeling in practice.

“With any injury like this, you want to make sure as they move around and how they're feeling — it could be all, some, none,” Stefanski said, regarding the reps the Falcons could potentially take off Penix’s plate that day. “We shall see.”

Penix reportedly had imaging done earlier this week. Stefanski didn’t divulge specifics concerning the extent of the rib issue his quarterback is navigating.

Stefanski did note, though, that Penix is “feeling better.”

Atlanta is gearing up to face a Bears squad that could get Caleb Williams back this week. Williams has been out since his scary Grade 2 hamstring injury late in a Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“I think you got to prepare for everybody on the roster,” Stefanski said Wednesday. “Obviously, Caleb Williams is tremendous and so talented and can make every single throw, can play on time, can play off schedule. He's a very, very, very good young quarterback and has the stats and the wins to back that up.”

Stefanski added, alluding to backups Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum: “They also have two guys that have started and won for them. So I think you have to prepare for the entire roster and understand of course there's differences in play style, but we have to make sure we prepare for the entire roster.”