The Atlanta Falcons do not know exactly when Michael Penix will be back.
The Atlanta Falcons are headed into their Week 2 matchup and home opener this week against the Carolina Panthers, and fans are hoping the results are going to be a whole lot different from Week 1.
Unfortunately, it looks like the quarterback situation will remain the same with Cooper Rush taking the reigns as Tua Tagovailoa remained out of practice all week and Michael Penix Jr. -- though medically cleared and practicing -- seemingly does not feel he's ready to be out there yet.
Now, this game against Carolina gets a whole lot tougher, and fans are getting frustrated with Penix. During an appearance on 92.9 The Game though, Atlanta head coach Kevin Stefanski talked about the situation and it sounds like the team and Penix are on the same page.
Stefanski Says Penix, Falcons On Same Page with His Recovery
"There's a progression if you will, to anybody coming off an injury so we rolled Mike out early last week and didn't roll Mike out this week," Stefanski said. "So we're continuing to practice and progress and do different things, but I wouldn't read much into anything other than we'll be really smart about this. Mike and I talk every day, I talk to the medical staff every day...we all are on the same page and will continue to be on the same page."
Despite what some have started to say surrounding Penix being the one that is making the call that he is not ready, Stefanski seems fairly clear in claiming this is a joint decision from him, the medical staff and Penix. Whether that is actually the case or not can never be known, but a head coach is always going to have his player's back publicly, and that is how it should be.
Penix feels unlikely to return in Week 3 with a short turnaround to a Thursday Night game, however perhaps Week 4 could be a realistic target with a mini bye and him getting some extra time to get ready from a Thursday to a Monday turnaround.
All this being said, fans are clearly not thrilled with the way the quarterback situation has played out here in the early portion of the season, and it makes sense why. If Rush struggles again on Sunday and the team loses a second straight game, the noise is only going to keep getting louder from folks outside the organization.
