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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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The Atlanta Falcons took Michael Penix with a top-ten pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but a couple of years later, his career is on the rocks.
Penix was a star in college football after a successful 2024 season that saw him lead Washington to unprecedented heights.
Despite being 24 years old at the draft, he caught the attention of the Falcons, who had just handed veteran Kirk Cousins a massive contract.
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The Falcons took him No. 9 overall in the first round, though things have been rough for him ever since that moment. He has only played 12 games, throwing for 2,757 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.
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During his college career, he had injury problems, which were noted during the pre-draft process, and they have followed him in the NFL.
He underwent surgery on Nov. 25 to repair an ACL tear in his left knee. While his return to full football activity lacks a clear timeline, the signal caller projects optimism despite the uncertainty.
“Feeling good. Getting better every day. It’s just like I expected. Just doing everything I can to get back to where I want to be,” Penix said through a video from the team.
“I can do just about anything but take a hit, and that’s what we’re trying to stay away from right now.”
This is Penix’s third ACL repair surgery — he had two in college. According to him, the surgeon told him that his knee is better than ever. He does not have faith in it, given the history, until he can test it out.
“I went and saw the doctor before camp started. He was like, ‘This is an amazing ACL. You should never have any more knee problems for the rest of your career.’ That’s word-for-word what he told me, so it’s like, ‘I hear that. Do I trust that?’ It’s more so having that confidence in it and not worrying about it,” Penix said.
“Injuries happen in football. At the same time, you don’t want it to happen again. So, it’s like I’ve got to get out of my mind, ‘What if it happens again,’ and just go out there and just play.”
With Penix in his third year, a massive one for a young quarterback, this season will be make or break, especially since Tua Tagovailoa has control over the starting job.
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