Michael Penix Jr.’s patience in return is absolutely the right move

If Michael Penix Jr. wanted to play in the Falcons season opener on Sunday, he would be physically capable to do so.

But, according to comments made Monday after the team announced Tua Tagovailoa will be the Week 1 starter, he doesn’t think he is ready to return from an ACL tear and, so, he will not play. Good for Penix for exercising wise control over his career and health.

“I had that conversation (with coach Kevin Stefanski),” Penix told the media Monday at the team’s Flowery Branch complex. “I just told him I’m not where I want to be right now, and I want to be 100% so I can help this team win football games.”

After tearing his ACL in November, Penix was cleared for 11-on-11 practice drills Aug. 20. He took part in 11-on-11 work in practices the following week, leading up to the team’s final exhibition game, but didn’t play. The wait will continue at least through Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh. Cooper Rush will be Tagovailoa’s backup, and Penix will be inactive.

“It’s not tough (to be patient),” Penix said. “Because I’ve been in this position before and I’ve been in a position where I did rush back and I didn’t feel confident, and I didn’t play good and it didn’t look good.”

That was in 2021 at Indiana, returning from a 2020 ACL tear. He underperformed and transferred after the season to Washington, where he became a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2023, leading to the Falcons drafting him eighth overall in 2024.

Given that Tagovailoa didn’t set the world on fire in training camp practices and exhibition games, is it possible that Falcons coaches wouldn’t have minded if Penix gave it a try Sunday?

Maybe.

Is part of it a mental hurdle to clear?

Possibly.

Should that be held against him?

Particularly given this is his third ACL tear — and that he said he had rushed back previously to ill effect — why should it?

If he goes out there before he’s ready and plays tentatively, it will be held against him.

If he plays only when he determines he is ready and performs below standards, it will also be held against him, but it will be on his terms and there won’t be room for excuses.

It behooves the Falcons to know by year’s end if they can go into the 2027 season with Penix as their No. 1 quarterback or if they need to look for his successor. It only makes sense to give him the most optimal environment to make his case.

“I want to be out there giving 100%,” Penix said. “If I don’t feel like I can do that, that’s not fair for this team.”

And, to whatever degree this is part of his thought process, it wouldn’t be fair to him. Assuming he eventually gets a shot at the starting job, he may never have a better chance to prove himself as a worthy No. 1 quarterback.

To return any faster than at the pace he sets for himself — particularly given that he has demonstrated his competitiveness and work ethic — would be to shortchange himself and, by extension, the Falcons.

After 12 career starts in his first two seasons, it remains unclear if he can be the quarterback the Falcons need as they try to end their eight-year playoff drought.

He has intangibles like leadership and drive. His durability is a question mark, obviously, and although he’s had moments of brilliance, it’s not conclusive how consistently he can produce.