Surgeon discusses what Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. faces after surgery
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has a long road to recovery from reconstructive surgery to his left knee.
He’s set to have surgery in Los Angeles this week and reportedly it will be performed by Neal ElAttrache — the surgeon who repaired Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant and Cam Akers’ anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
“The recovery can take anywhere from nine months up to 12 months,” Dr. Danyal Nawabi, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Many players have had that surgery. As an elite quarterback, he would definitely need that surgery to return back at the highest level.”
The Falcons declined several requests to interview team physician Dr. Kyle Hammond of Emory Healthcare.
If Penix can complete his rehab in nine months, he could return in time to start the 2026 regular season. If it takes longer, he could miss the first month of the season — or more.
Either way, the Falcons will be in the quarterback market looking for a possible backup good enough to be a starter for a three or four games. Kirk Cousins is the starter for the rest of this season, but isn’t expected to be with the team next season with a $57.5 million salary-cap hit.
Penix had a bone bruise to his left knee early this season that caused him to miss the Miami game Oct. 26. He was hit in that general area in the Panthers game Nov. 16. He tried to get up and walk, but couldn’t.
The ACL might have been injured as part of the bone bruise and made the knee unstable. After an MRI, the team said Penix would undergo season-ending surgery for a partially torn ACL.
“An ACL reconstruction involves replacing the torn ACL with a graft,” Nawabi said. “The one thing that is interesting about his injury is when you are sacked or have a collision with the knee bent or flexed, the PCL can get injured. An isolated PCL tear typically doesn’t need surgery. But if the PCL gets injured in a knee which may have been compensating for a partially torn ACL from a prior bone bruise early on this season, then you can unmask an ACL tear resulting in knee instability.”
The Falcons have talked with Penix about his approach and how he’ll be off his feet for 10 to 12 weeks.
“Once you get back into it, and you’ve got the ability that you’re mobile and do some of those things, you want to keep your mind fresh,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said.
The Falcons will want him to take part in the classroom portion of organized team activities and minicamps.
“The same thing with Mike, being able to get back in, doing some things on offense just to make sure his mind is fresh,” Morris said. “Then, once you get back to being able to do some things, obviously on the grass, that’s what he’ll be doing with our guys and our people that are getting him right. But, you definitely want to keep those guys fresh.”
Working out as much as he can with the team will be key. Also, nickel back Billy Bowman Jr. has Achilles surgery coming up.
“You definitely want to keep those guys within the game plans,” Morris said. “You definitely want to keep those guys knowing exactly what’s going on. They’re pretty much both the quarterbacks of our defense, talking about the nickel and our quarterback. Getting those guys to stay involved with the daily game plans and the daily rhythm and routine, that won’t happen for a little bit, up until they can get back and be mobile enough to do those things. You obviously want to get those guys back as quickly as possible.”
How much offseason work Penix, who has started 12 NFL games, gets will be key.
“No, it’s not out of the question to do some off season,” said Dr. David Chao, a former NFL team doctor. “But it will impact him. That’s what they’re working through. How much of the offseason we have … he still needs offseason development.”
In 2011, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson returned from ACL and medial collateral ligament surgery in eight months and rushed for 2,097 yards the following season. Akers, then with the Rams, returned after 5½ months in December 2021.
Penix has had two ACL surgeries on his right knee, one in 2018 and the other in 2020.
“He was always at a higher risk of tearing the ACL in the other knee,” Nawabi said. “The risk of tearing the ACL in the other knee goes up once you’ve torn the ACL in one knee. The risk increases three to fourfold in the other knee. … So, this was, unfortunately, an injury that he was at increased risk for.”
The previous rehabs might help Penix this time around.
“That nine-to-12 months number is for the general population,” Nawabi said. “A high-performing athlete, who has access to the best facilities for rehab, the best physical therapists at their disposal working on them everyday after the surgery, I don’t think it would be unusual at all for Michael to return in nine months or maybe even sooner.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
