‘It’s in your mind’: Michael Penix admits that he can’t ‘take a hit’

Jul 29, 2026; Atlanta, Falcons, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) talks to the media during the first day of training camp at IBM Performance Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images The Atlanta Falcons will start veteran quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the team’s first preseason game, but a starting quarterback for the regular season has yet to be determined. Michael Penix hasn’t been fully cleared, and Atlanta is giving its former first-rounder time to throw his hat in the ring. “Feeling good. Getting better every day,” Penix said on Wednesday about his recovery process, per Pro Football Talk. “It’s just like I expected. Just doing everything I can to get back to where I want to be.” However, Penix, who is working his way back from an ACL tear, admitted that he still isn’t in a place where he can take physical contact. “I can do just about anything but take a hit, and that’s what we’re trying to stay away from right now,” Penix said. Penix had two ACL tears in college as well, leading to serious uncertainty about whether he can sustain the grind of a full season in the NFL. For his part, the quarterback knows that the extensive injury history involving his knees is a mental hurdle he’ll have to get over. “It’s in your mind,” Penix said. “I’ve been through it two times already, so I know what I’m going to be going through. I know the mental aspect of it. It’s like, ‘Yeah, I am healthy,’ but it’s like, ‘OK, do I trust that?’ “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. 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.” Penix has started 12 games for the Falcons since being drafted in 2024. He’s hopeful to make his 13th start for the franchise on September 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The post ‘It’s in your mind’: Michael Penix admits that he can’t ‘take a hit’ appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.