INDIANAPOLIS — After reporting to the Falcons facility for training camp at the end of July, Michael Penix Jr. was not yet cleared to participate in team drills. In the weeks that followed, he said he could do everything but take a hit. That has meant a training camp filled with individual drills, 1-on-1s with pass catchers and 7-on-7s.
Asked about his timeline, Penix said on July 29 that his doctor wanted to give him four more weeks at that clearance level "before going to the next stage."
Now, in mid-August, that window is nearing its end, and Penix is gearing up for further conversations. In fact, he said after the Falcons' second joint practice with the Colts in Indianapolis on Thursday that he has a call scheduled with his doctor for a check-in.
"I know that call will be coming up soon," Penix said. "Talk to my doctor, see where he thinks I am, see how he feels about everything and then we will go from there."
Penix said that even though he hasn't yet been able to get into 11-on-11 action, these last two practices with the Colts have been "very important" for getting acclimated back into the swing of practice and getting a feel for the future demands of games.
"Obviously, running up against another defense," Penix said. "Seeing our defense all the time, you get the same, repetitive looks but to be able to get different looks, to get some live competition, it was awesome."
The third-year quarterback said he feels well equipped physically to handle a dirty pocket. Now, it's about getting the green light to operate within one.
"If I had a rush coming at me and everything, I can get away. But it's just the right now is if I don't get away. That's what we're thinking about: If I don't get away," Penix said. "I don't think my doctor is ready for me to take those hits right now, but that time is coming real soon."
Exactly what date constitutes "real soon" is still up in the air for Penix, but there is hope that it is, indeed, soon.
"Whatever (the doctor) says, that's what its going to be," Penix concluded. "I am going to trust him, and trust God and I am just going to continue taking steps in the right direction."
Take a look at the best photos of joint practice as the Atlanta Falcons battle against the Indianapolis Colts during the 2026 AT&T Training Camp in Indianapolis, Ind.
