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Michael Penix Jr. is ready to come back better than ever next season.
The second-year quarterback had a solid season for the Atlanta Falcons, throwing nine touchdowns against three interceptions in his nine starts. However, Penix suffered a torn ACL injury in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, the third such injury of his football career.
Penix – just two months removed from the injury – is still recovering. He said he’s gotten the “baby steps” out of the way and is lifting weights.
“I’m still in the early stages, but I feel like I’m already past the baby steps,” Penix Jr. said. in a one-on-one interview. “Right now I’m doing a lot of strengthening and stuff like that. I’m trying to get my knee back strong, and my quad and all the muscles around it, so I can get back 100%. But I’ve been in rehab every day for about three hours and I’m just grinding, trying to get back up.”
The 25-year-old said he isn’t running yet, but is doing all the weight work at this stage of his rehabilitation.
“I do everything in the weight room,” Penix Jr. said. “Physically, I can’t run yet, that will come. But I’m squatting. I’m doing one-leg squats, split squats, doing all that stuff, so I feel like I’m in a good place now.”
When it comes to mental strength, Penix is ​​the definition of it. The former Washington Huskies star suffered ACL setbacks during his freshman year with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2018 and again during the 2020 season.
He bounced back from all that and eventually became one of college football’s best passers during his senior season, leading the Huskies to the College Football National Championship Game during his senior year. He was also named a first-team All-American, led the NCAA in passing yards while winning the Maxwell Award during the 2023 season.
That success led to him becoming a first-round draft pick and eventually the Falcons’ starting quarterback by the end of his rookie season.
“Yes, for sure,” said Penix, who knew how to overcome serious injuries at this stage. “When I go through it multiple times, I know what to expect. But for me, I just know that I had to get through the hard days. There will be hard days, but I have to find ways to get through them. I feel like those days are the times where I feel the most growth.”
Going through a serious injury is probably the toughest thing an athlete can experience. Not only is the rehabilitation challenging and powerful, it’s also the emotional toll it can take on a player who is not only away from the field, but away from his teammates.
Penix said teammates have kept in touch with him since the injury and surgery.
“We’re talking, some of the guys were hitting me and I was hitting those guys,” Penix Jr. said. “A lot of people are traveling now and spending time with their families. Everyone is doing their own thing now. But it’s all love both ways. Everyone has been good. Everyone reached out when I had the surgery and when I first came out of the surgery just to look at me. It’s good.”
When asked if he should be ready by the start of the 2026 season in September, Penix said: “That’s the plan.”
“That’s the plan,” said Penix Jr. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure that happens, but ultimately I have to get that check-off from the doctor.”
Michael Penix Jr. works with Invisalign to improve smiles and self-confidence
As Penix goes through his rehabilitation, he is working with Invisalign. The Falcons quarterback said he has been with them for the past few months and that the teeth aligner has helped tremendously with his smile and self-confidence.
“I feel like, Invisalign, you’re always in front of the camera,” Penix said. “I always do interviews and things like that. I feel like I want to have a confident smile, and I knew Invisalign could help me with that. I feel like beyond the confidence and the smile, I also feel like having good oral health will also help me with my physical health, especially as I go through my rehab process, trying to get healthy again, get back on the field, just being able to have good oral health.
“I feel like it has helped me with my physical health as well,” Penix continued. “It’s been a great journey so far. I feel like I’m seeing results. I’ve just enjoyed the journey.”
Penix encourages people to at least watch to try Invisalign if they want to improve their smile or self-confidence.
“I just feel like everyone should at least look into it and do some research,” Penix said. “Find a local doctor who can help you with this because I feel like it will boost your confidence, help you have a confident smile, go about your day with a big smile every day. I feel like it’s definitely something that has helped me with my self-confidence in my everyday life. I feel like it can help anyone too. Check it out.”
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