Atlanta Falcons fans who didn’t make it to the end of their Sunday Night Football game before falling asleep woke up to some painful news.
Not only did the Falcons blow an eight-point lead to let it get to overtime. Not only did they lose once in OT to the Baltimore Ravens. They also may have lost starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to an injury.
Penix’s status isn’t as definitive by Monday morning, of course. The loss is locked in, and it moves the Falcons to 2-3 when it looked for most of the night like they’d be 3-2.
But it could be what happens next with Penix that determines the outlook of Atlanta’s season moving forward.
He had returned from his knee surgery recovery to make his season debut in Week 3, and the third-year QB had led two impressive victories in his first two starts. It looked like Sunday night would be a third in a row until it slipped away from Atlanta.
Michael Penix Jr. Injury Update
ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted a quick update on his X account at about 6:45 a.m. ET on Monday.
He wrote: “Falcons QB Michael Penix is expected to undergo an MRI today on his ribs to determine how much, if any time, he would miss.”
That was determined to be the injury, a ribs injury, for Penix after a defender crash landed on him, sandwiching him with the turf below.
At the time of the injury, Penix left the game for a play as Tua Tagovailoa came in, then came back in for a play at the end of regulation.
By the time the Falcons got the ball in overtime, though, they had determined Penix couldn’t come back in at that time.
He doesn’t plan on missing more action, though.
“Knowing me, I’m going to be ready to go next week because I sat out enough in my career, but I’m going to do everything I can in the training room, make sure I get back to where I want to be,” Penix told reporters after the game, via ESPN.
An added pain for Falcons fans is that Penix said he probably would’ve played if Atlanta got the ball first in overtime, but after a Ravens drive that lasted more than seven minutes of game clock, he simply couldn’t get warmed up.
Tua Tagovailoa Update
On the second offensive play for the Falcons in overtime, Tagovailoa was intercepted by Kyle Hamilton.
This was Tagovailoa’s Falcons debut, and it ended in painful fashion.
Obviously, it’s never easy for a backup QB coming into a game, especially in the late stages in which Tagovailoa entered.
Still, it wasn’t a moment that will raise Atlanta’s optimism about the premise of using Tagovailoa going forward.
The Falcons will sure be hoping Penix’s MRI on Monday turns out OK.
Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. Injury Update Includes MRI Detail From Adam Schefter