Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been placed on injured reserve after re-aggravating his left PCL injury. Head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged that Penix could miss the remainder of the season.
Penix suffered the setback on a play that immediately sparked public speculation about a potential ACL tear, but Pro Football Doc Dr. David Chao strongly pushed back on that concern.
“The question here is, I can tell you this: on that play, there is no way that Penix retore his ACL. What they're saying about the ACL has to be related to previous surgery where perhaps the ACL is already not 100% and now they're saying, well, is it time with the PCL laxity, it's going to stress the ACL more?”
“It doesn't look 100%. Are we better off doing something about it now? And that's to be determined. I have not seen his MRI. I have not examined Michael Penix. I don't believe Michael Penix—if he had a new or normal ACL, we would be talking about the ACL today. We're only talking about the ACL in construct with the PCL injury.”
“The PCL is the new injury, but if the ACL prevents your knee from shifting forward and the PCL prevents your knee from shifting back, one can imagine if your ACL isn't 100% tight. And this is speculation slash analysis on my part—injury analysis, not reporting—not uncommon after an ACL reconstruction. He's known to have his problems on his left knee before.”
According to Dr. Chao, the primary issue is the PCL injury, not a new ACL tear. The concern, instead, is whether the added ligament laxity could place additional strain on his ACL.
Penix has dealt with knee problems throughout his collegiate and professional career, including tearing his right ACL twice. His latest setback leaves Atlanta without its quarterback for at least four games, and potentially the rest of the season depending on how his knee responds in the coming weeks.
The Falcons have not yet announced a timeline for his return, but Morris’ comments indicate the team is preparing for the possibility of a lengthy absence and Kirk Cousins under center for the remainder of the 2025 season.
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