Michael Penix Jr. made his highly anticipated 2026 debut in Week 3, helping the Atlanta Falcons earn their first win of the season.
Atlanta followed with another victory, as Penix threw for 223 yards and Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 in a dominant win over the New Orleans Saints.
Then came another scare. A sack late in Atlanta’s Week 6 game against the Baltimore Ravens briefly knocked Penix out of the game. He returned one play later but did not play in overtime because of rib discomfort, leaving many wondering whether he had suffered another setback.
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Following an MRI earlier this week, Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Penix was on track to start Sunday, barring a setback. On Friday, Penix had no injury designation and was fully cleared to take the field as QB1 this weekend.
Penix has participated in practice all week, and Stefanski added that he does not anticipate the signal caller needing any sort of extra protection for his ribs on Sunday. The first-year Falcons head coach also does not believe the game plan will need to be adjusted heading into the matchup with the Bears.
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Penix played a key role as the Falcons scored a league-high 80 points combined in Weeks 3 and 4.
Penix’s injury history, dating back to his college days, is well documented. He suffered his latest ACL injury last November and underwent surgery. Penix has thrown for 719 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.
Bears star Caleb Williams’ status for Sunday’s game in Atlanta is much less clear than Penix’s. He has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury. Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday that Williams would be listed was a full participant on the latest injury report.
On Thursday, Williams was listed as a full participant on the team’s injury report for a second consecutive day. He stressed, however, that a decision on his availability for Chicago’s Week 6 matchup with Atlanta had not yet been made.
“Before you start asking, do not know if I’m playing yet,” Williams told reporters. “Have to go through a bunch of medical protocols, obviously have to get out there and practice, do the stress testing that you do when you’re trying to come back from injury or serious injury.”
Williams also took issue with the way reports characterized his injury. He said “every single” report was inaccurate and clarified that he suffered a “pretty serious” hamstring tear.
“There’s nothing that has come out that has been right about what it is and what it has been,” Williams said.
