Michael Penix Jr. was just injured a week ago when he left Sunday night with a ribs injury.
He was in the game early for the Falcons on Sunday, but that changed quickly when he went to the blue medical tent.
Penix was shown on the Fox broadcast going to the tent while the Chicago Bears had the football.
Michael Penix is headed to the medical tent.
šŗ: FOX/FOX One https://t.co/V3Ho1QwSjG
ā FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 18, 2026
If Penix has to leave the game, Tua Tagovailoa would be the quarterback — but since he went to the tent while the Falcons didn’t have the ball, it wasn’t immediately clear what would happen.
What Happened to Michael Penix Jr?
It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to Penix.
The first notice that he was injured was when the Fox broadcast showed him going to the tent. He hadn’t missed a play when the Falcons had the ball up to that point.
It wasn’t obvious whether Penix had re-injured his ribs or if something else had happened.
While Penix was in the tent, the Bears went and scored their second touchdown of the game — it was 14-0 Chicago, so the status of Penix could prove crucial to whether Atlanta can come back or not.
Update: Penix returned to the game without missing a play.
Michael Penix Injury History
Penix has mostly dealt with serious knee injuries in his career.
He has sustained a torn ACL three times since he began his college career. That includes one torn ACL to end his 2025 season early.
So anytime that Penix is hurt, it’s a concern. But since he walked to the medical tent on his own power on Sunday, it doesn’t seem like it was a huge leg issue.
Penix’s rib injury in Week 5 came when he was landed on hard by a defender who had been rushing the passer. It was very logical that he had been hurt on such a play.
The lefty said he would’ve come back in the game if the Falcons got the ball first in overtime, but after he had to sit while the Ravens had the ball, his body had tightened up, and so Tua Tagovailoa had to go in — and on the Falcons’ second offensive play of overtime, Tagovailoa threw an interception to lose the game.
Stay tuned for what happens on Sunday. This could get interesting.
What Happened to Michael Penix Jr? Why Falcons’ QB Went to Injury Tent