Michael Penix Jr. is cleared to start for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, a relief after a Falcons injury scare that briefly knocked him out of the Week 6 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He had no injury designation on Friday and was fully cleared to take the field as QB1 this weekend.
The timing matters because the Falcons need their starter back as the matchup with the Chicago Bears approaches. Penix practiced all week and had already been on track after an MRI earlier this week, when Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday he was “on track to start Sunday, barring a setback.”
The rib issue was enough to keep Penix out for overtime against Baltimore, but not enough to keep him from returning one play later after the sack that knocked him out briefly. Stefanski said he does not anticipate Penix needing extra protection for his ribs on Sunday and does not believe the game plan will need to be adjusted for the matchup with the Bears.
That leaves the Falcons in a much cleaner spot than they were after the injury scare. Penix has thrown for 719 yards and three touchdowns this season, including 223 yards in Atlanta’s win over the New Orleans Saints, while Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards in that game. Atlanta had already shown what the offense can do with Penix in rhythm, and the team now gets a chance to keep that going without changing course because of the rib concern.
The lingering uncertainty sits on the other sideline. Caleb Williams has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury, was listed as a full participant on the injury report for two consecutive days, and still had not had his status for Sunday decided. That makes Penix’s clearance the clearer piece of the Week 6 picture, even after the brief scare that raised questions about whether he would need extra protection or a reduced workload.
For now, the Falcons have their quarterback and their plan intact. The only remaining question is whether Penix’s ribs hold up cleanly through Sunday, because everything the team has said this week points to him starting without restrictions.
