Former Washington Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not be active for the Atlanta Falcons’ season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite getting fully cleared to return from the ACL injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely. This is a tough pill to swallow for fans who were hoping to see the No. 8 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft hit the field right away.
Penix Playing It Smart: “Not Where I Want to Be”
The news dropped that Penix told head coach Kevin Stefanski he just isn’t quite ready to jump back into action. Talk about being honest with yourself and your team, right? He knows what it takes to be 100 percent, and he’s not there yet. Penix told the media, “I just told him, I’m not where I want to be right now. I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help this team win football games, and I’m really close. Really close.” You gotta respect that kind of self-awareness. It’s not about being cleared for contact, it’s about being cleared to truly *dominate*. Think about it: after undergoing the third knee surgery of his career, playing it safe makes total sense. He was cleared for full contact and team practices on August 22, after only doing 7-on-7 and individual drills before that. He’s taking the long view.
What This Means for Atlanta’s QB Situation
So, with Penix sidelined, veteran Tua Tagovailoa will get the starting nod for the Falcons. The catch? Tua apparently struggled big time during the preseason. That’s not exactly inspiring confidence heading into Week 1, is it? Coach Stefanski totally gets Penix’s cautious approach. He backed his quarterback, saying, “This will continue to be something that we work on together with Mike. We’re all on the same page…myself, our medical staff, Mike, everyone…and everybody feels good about where Mike is heading. He’ll continue just to work like crazy, and that’s his focus.” Stefanski even brought up how offensive tackles can get cleared to play, but that doesn’t always mean they can “function at the level that you need to function at.” It sounds like they’re protecting their young QB’s future, which is smart.
This whole situation makes the Falcons’ opener against the Steelers a must-watch, even more so for those of us who follow our former Huskies stars. All eyes will be on Tua to see if his preseason woes continue, because if they do, you can bet Penix will be pushing to return early in the season. We’re all rooting for Penix to get back on the field, absolutely locked in and ready to crush it, sooner rather than later.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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