The Atlanta Falcons had enough problems Sunday without another injury question surrounding Michael Penix Jr. But after their 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears, the quarterback was asked about a trip to the medical tent that he wasn’t interested in explaining.
Penix had entered the game coming off a rib injury that kept him out of overtime against the Baltimore Ravens a week earlier. He was cleared to start against Chicago and finished the contest, yet his early visit to the tent prompted a question afterward.
His answer was brief, delivered with a smile, and left the reason for the visit unclear.
Michael Penix Jr. Declines to Explain Falcons Injury-Tent Visit
Asked about the early trip to the tent after Sunday’s loss, Penix confirmed it happened but stopped short of explaining why.
“I did go into the injury tent. I’m not going to say what that was about. Just say I am good,” Penix said, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, who described the quarterback as smiling during the exchange.
The unusual response comes with an important distinction: Penix did not say he sustained a new injury, nor did he reveal what prompted the visit. His statement that he was good is the only explanation he provided in Kendall’s account.
And while the tent visit drew attention, Penix remained in the game and helped Atlanta make a late push after trailing 31-7 in the fourth quarter.
He finished 19 of 33 passing for 225 yards and three touchdowns, including two scores to Kyle Pitts. The Falcons pulled within eight points, but their comeback ended when Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon strip-sacked Penix with less than three minutes remaining. Chicago recovered the fumble and held on.
Atlanta fell to 2-4 with its second consecutive loss, and the offense again spent much of the afternoon trying to overcome a slow start. Chicago scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and took a 21-7 lead into halftime, forcing the Falcons to play catch-up for much of the afternoon.
Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. Was Already Recovering From Rib Injury
The injury-tent question was bound to carry extra weight after what happened in Atlanta’s previous game. Penix suffered a rib injury late in regulation of the Falcons’ overtime loss to Baltimore and couldn’t get comfortable enough to return for the team’s final possession.
Backup Tua Tagovailoa took over and threw an interception that ended the game. But the outlook for Penix improved during the following week.
Penix returned to full practice Wednesday. He said he took the first-team repetitions and could make every throw despite some discomfort.
By Friday, Penix had no injury designation and was cleared to start against Chicago. Nothing in his postgame answer establishes that Sunday’s tent visit was connected to the earlier rib issue.
Penix also acknowledged the offense’s difficulty playing from behind. He emphasized the need to start faster so Atlanta can keep Bijan Robinson and its rushing attack involved instead of repeatedly facing obvious passing situations.
The Falcons managed only three third-down conversions in 12 attempts, making their fourth-quarter rally too late to overcome Chicago’s early advantage.
For now, Penix’s reassurance is encouraging, but his decision not to explain the tent visit leaves the circumstances unanswered. His availability in practice this week should offer a clearer indication of whether anything from Sunday’s game will affect him going forward.
Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. Gives Unusual Answer After Injury-Tent Visit