How Michael Penix Jr. knew he was ready for Falcons’ return

FLOWERY BRANCH — Michael Penix Jr. pushed himself through a big workout Saturday, strapped with curiosity about how his knee would respond. He knew it was a big test. He woke up Sunday morning with an answer.

“I was ready to go,” Penix said Tuesday. “I told my wife, ‘I’m up this week.’ I was excited.”

Penix tried a similar process in Week 1, going through agility and movement drills to see how his knee reacted. He “got a little sore” that week and knew he wasn’t ready.

When Week 2 arrived, he wanted to work more on stress and explosiveness. He had biometric numbers to hit and a comfort level he was still trying to find. By last Thursday, he “started feeling really good,” and that carried into Friday. The workout Saturday was his final hurdle.

“That’s really kind of what helped me make that decision, my workout on Saturday,” Penix said. “Just pushing it to the level and seeing what I could take. It responded good.”

Penix talked to Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski following the team’s 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, expressing that he felt ready to roll. Stefanski told reporters at noon Monday he had a “decent idea” who his starting quarterback would be moving forward, and Penix verified his intentions to play later that afternoon.

So, 10 months removed from his third ACL tear and first in his left knee, Penix will start under center when the Falcons (0-2) face the Green Bay Packers (1-1) at 8:15 p.m. Thursday in Lambeau Field.

“Very excited for Mike,” Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said Tuesday. “He put in a tremendous amount of work since we got here. He was one of the first people we saw in the building rehabbing when we first got here a while back. Obviously, he has a tremendous skill set and we got to do things that fit him and make him comfortable out there. Tremendously proud of him, really excited for him.

“And his skill set’s one that you can do a lot of things with and we’re excited about undergoing this, starting this week.”

The Falcons have patiently awaited Penix’s return to full health, trudging through two games where third- and fourth-string quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Jack Strand combined for seven turnovers while Penix and Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) watched from the sidelines.

But Penix never rushed his process, and he didn’t struggle with patience. He’s experienced playing football when his body wasn’t ready, and he knows how to differentiate between normal pains and surgery recovery. He was intentional with his rehab process, his diet and the structured program he navigated laid out before him.

This offseason, Penix set his goal as a Week 1 return. But he said Tuesday that, as his recovery progressed, he didn’t have a specific date in mind. He was searching for a feeling.

“Being healthy was what I’ve been targeting,” Penix said. “Whenever I felt like I can go out there, get out of all that soreness and get stronger each and every day, that’s what it’s always about. So once I felt healthy, it felt like I was ready to go.

After the Falcons face the Packers on “Thursday Night Football,” they get an 11-day gap before playing the New Orleans Saints in a Monday night bout. Additional time to rest is a welcome bonus, Penix said, but not the motivating factor behind his return this week.

It’s this simple: he was finally ready.

“Since I was a kid, I’ve been loving this sport, so I’m never going to sit out if I’m healthy,” Penix said. “So it’s like I knew I wasn’t where I needed to be the first two weeks and now I feel like I’m where I want to be. So, that’s why you see me up this week.”

The lengthy break awaiting the Falcons is countered by a short sprint to Penix’s season debut. The team’s schedule includes a walkthrough Monday, a quick practice Tuesday and another walkthrough Wednesday.

But practice reps don’t inherently matter to Penix, who participated in 7-on-7 sessions during OTAs, minicamp and the first four weeks of training camp. His doctor cleared him for 11-on-11 participation Aug. 20, which gave Penix four weeks of practices in team periods leading into Week 3.

Penix also took a significant dose of mental reps. After every offensive drive in the Falcons’ first two games, he went to the bench, grabbed a tablet and reviewed every play. He passed along tips and reminders to help Rush and Strand play fast.

In turn, he believes he helped himself do the same.

“I feel like it’ll show as well once I get out there on that field,” Penix said. “It’s like, ‘OK, I’m glad I took those mental reps because now I got it engraved into my brain and I can just go out there and have fun and play free.’”

The Falcons’ offense has sputtered through two games. Across 24 drives, the team has scored only 16 points, recorded just one touchdown, and has yet to run a play in the red zone. Stefanski said the issues go beyond quarterback play, but Penix’s return could be a saving grace for a unit in desperate need of an elevating presence.

Penix, however, feels no pressure. His dad often tells him, “Just be yourself. Don’t try to go out there being anything but yourself, and that will always be enough.” Penix took it to heart. He trusts his father. He trusts his faith. He trusts his preparation.

And the Falcons trust Penix — rehab done, reps gained, confidence acquired — will be ready Thursday night.