Michael Penix Jr.’s “snakebitten career” added another painful chapter Sunday night when a brutal hit to his ribs knocked him out of overtime in the Falcons’ 30-23 loss to the Ravens on “Sunday Night Football.” Despite the crushing defeat and the visual of Penix distraught on the sideline, the good news is his injury isn’t considered serious, and the man himself fully expects to be back on the field for Week 6 against the Bears.
The Hit That Changed Everything (and Why It Didn’t)
Talk about a gut punch. Penix took a hard shot to his ribs late in regulation from Tavius Robinson, and it instantly had everyone holding their breath. He initially missed just one play, with Tua Tagovailoa stepping in to find Bijan Robinson for a 14-yard gain. Penix tried to gut it out, returning to throw a ball away under pressure before the Falcons punted to end regulation. But as overtime started, and the Ravens marched down the field for a seven-minute touchdown drive, cameras kept panning to Atlanta’s medical staff working on Penix’s right ribs. When it was the Falcons’ turn on offense, Penix was under a towel, watching Tua lead the charge. Tua did hit Drake London for 20 yards on their first play in overtime, but then Kyle Hamilton picked him off on the very next snap, sealing the Ravens’ victory. You know that feeling when you’re watching a game and a player you’re rooting for gets hurt, and it feels like the air just leaves the stadium? That was the vibe for Falcons fans.
Penix’s Emotional Sideline and Fierce Determination
After the game, Penix was honest about his emotions, telling reporters he’s just frustrated by how many times he hasn’t been able to finish games. “I did take some throws on the sideline just to see how I felt, and I did not feel like I was gonna be able to give our team what we needed to help us win that football game because of the pain that I was feeling, so that’s all that happened,” Penix said. He added, “I was trying to get out there. I feel like if we had the ball first in overtime, I probably would have been out there, but as we were sitting, what I was going through, it just started getting worse and worse as we were just sitting there. I was getting cold.” That raw honesty, the pain of wanting to be out there for your team and knowing you just can’t, hits hard. But here’s the kicker: Penix is already looking ahead, ready to fight.
What’s Next for Week 6?
Even with the team saying they’ll need more imaging and testing to get a timeline, Penix’s words after the game were loud and clear. “Knowing me, I’mma be ready to go next week because I’ve sat out enough my career,” he declared, adding, “I will work my tail off to make sure I’m back out there on that field.” This dude has a history of brutal injuries, too: a torn right ACL in 2018 and 2020 while at Indiana, plus a fractured collarbone in 2019. The Falcons are going to be cautious and monitor his practice this week before making a final call. But if Penix has anything to say about it, he’ll be under center for Week 6. Keep an eye on those practice reports because this is a story that impacts that Falcons offense in a big way.
In other news for us in the Emerald City, the San Francisco 49ers beat our Seattle Seahawks 32-29 in a tight one. We’ll be breaking down that game all week, too.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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