Falcons Expect Penix Jr. to Start Against Bears Despite Rib Injury

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is expected to start Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears despite a rib injury sustained last weekend, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday.

Penix was hurt late in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens after taking a sack. He briefly returned to the game before regulation ended but could not continue into overtime, forcing backup Tua Tagovailoa into the game. Tagovailoa threw the interception that sealed the loss.

Penix underwent an MRI earlier this week. Stefanski did not disclose specifics about the injury’s severity but said the quarterback is “feeling better.” On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the injury “didn’t look like it’s a long-term injury.”

Penix returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant, though ESPN later reported he took all of the first-team reps. Stefanski said the quarterback’s workload this week would depend on how he feels day to day.

“I want to see how he’s feeling,” Stefanski said. “With any injury like this, you want to make sure as they move around and how they’re feeling — it could be all, some, none. We shall see.”

Penix himself struck an optimistic tone after Wednesday’s session.

“I felt good today at practice,” Penix said. “… I just gotta stay on top of my rehab and just make sure I’m doing all the right things.”

He added: “I feel good to go this week, so that’s the plan.”

Penix has a lengthy injury history dating back to his college career. Most recently, he underwent surgery last November for an ACL injury, which kept him out of Atlanta’s first two games this season.

The Bears’ own starting quarterback situation remains uncertain as well. Caleb Williams has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, but Chicago head coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday that Williams would be listed as a full participant on the team’s latest injury report.