Falcons QB Penix says rib injury isn’t long-term, eyes return next week

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said the rib injury he suffered late in regulation during the team’s 30-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night won’t be a “long-term thing,” and he may return as early as the team’s matchup with the Chicago Bears next week.

“Knowing me, I’m going to be ready to go next week because I sat out enough in my career,” Penix said postgame. “But I’m going to do everything I can in the training room, make sure I get back to where I want to be. But obviously, my health is very, very serious. I take that very serious. So, that’s always going to come first.

“But I will work my tail off to make sure I’m back out there on that field.”

Penix injured his ribs after a big hit from Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson with 27 seconds remaining in regulation. He immediately grabbed the right side of his midsection and spent several seconds on his back. But he missed only one play before returning to the field for another snap.

Once the drive ended and Penix returned to the bench, he chatted with trainers and appeared ready to go again. But as the Ravens’ offense took a slow, methodical march downfield in overtime — they went 63 yards in 14 plays and took more than seven minutes off the clock — Penix’s condition worsened.

“I feel like if we had the ball first in overtime, I probably would have been out there,” Penix said. “But as we were sitting, what I was going through, it just started getting worse and worse as we were just sitting there. I was getting cold.”

Penix walked around the sideline and took a few throws, but he ultimately “did not feel like I was going to be able to give our team what we needed to be able to help us win that football game because of the pain that I was feeling.” He spoke with the Falcons’ trainers, and they collectively decided he wasn’t going back in.

Backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa traded a baseball cap for a helmet and began throwing. Penix sat listlessly with a towel over his head, coming to terms with the realization his night was over. Several teammates — including receiver Drake London, Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Zachariah Branch — came over to console him.

“It’s emotional because it’s tough,” Penix said. “I always want to be out there. I want to be able to finish every game. And obviously, I got a history of not doing that. But I’m just going to continue to trust in God.”

Penix later described the injury as “frustrating,” particularly given the timing — in the midst of a potential game-winning drive after the Falcons’ defense allowed a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game at 23 with 40 seconds remaining — in which it occurred.

“I think the biggest thing is just, I want to be out there,” Penix said. “Especially in a big moment in a game like that, I just felt like I needed to be out there. Obviously, we got trust in Tua when he came in. But for me, just how I grew up, how I was raised, man, it was always, ‘Fight through it, fight through it, fight through it.’

“And I was trying my best, but I knew I wasn’t where I needed to be to help us win a football game in that moment.”

Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said he didn’t know Penix wasn’t returning to the game until Tagovailoa joined the starters on the sideline moments before taking the field for their lone drive in overtime. Tagovailoa knelt to the turf, tied his left shoe and, after a 20-yard completion to receiver Drake London, threw a game-ending interception to safety Kyle Hamilton.

Lindstrom said Tagovailoa communicated well in the huddle and made the right commands to the offensive line. Tagovailoa has led 2-minute drives with the starting offense since OTAs, which gave Lindstrom confidence the Falcons would be able to execute; but they ultimately came up short.

“Obviously, we’d love Mike to be out there for his health,” Lindstrom said, “but Tua did a great job.”

Penix had a slow start Sunday night, missing his first four attempts and failing to complete a pass in the game’s first 22 minutes. He recovered to finish 19-for-32 passing for 240 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers while taking three sacks.

“I thought, listen, versus a tough defensive front, a tough coverage, he made some plays,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Like every quarterback, you’re not going to make every play, but there’s things that he can certainly improve upon. But I thought he battled.”

Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said Penix appeared to be in “good spirits” in the locker room. Tight end Kyle Pitts, who caught a season-high five passes for 42 yards and his first touchdown of the year, lamented losing Penix but said he is optimistic his absence won’t be lengthy.

“That sucks,” Pitts said. “That’s our quarterback. Hate to see him go down like that, but I know he’ll be fine.”

Penix added he’ll be “all right,” but the Falcons won’t know specifics — and if he’ll be available to play against the Bears — until getting results back on his imaging and evaluating his progress throughout the week.

The 26-year-old Penix, who led the Falcons to back-to-back wins in his first two starts upon returning from a torn ACL suffered last season, feels the team remains in a good spot. They could’ve — should’ve, he says — won Sunday night. It was a missed opportunity.