ATLANTA – No news is good news?
Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t rule out the possibility that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make his long-awaited return on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.
But he didn’t commit to such a plan, either, during a virtual press conference early Monday afternoon.
“I will let you guys know,” Stefanski said, a day after the Falcons (0-2) were blasted 34-3 by the Carolina Panthers and third-string quarterback Cooper Rush was benched for undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
“I will give you an update when I’ve been able to talk to the players and work through it. So, I don’t have an update right this minute. But again, constant communication with Mike, with all of our guys, so we’ll work through it this week.”
Asked about reports that suggest Penix, recovering from knee surgery, is trending toward playing this week, Stefanski said, “I can’t comment on reports. I will tell you, I want to make sure I talk to our players first.”
Stefanski said players were due to report to the team’s headquarters at noon on Monday for a weightlifting session. He said he could provide an update later on Monday after team meetings.
Penix was medically cleared in late August to fully participate in practices, yet having suffered three torn ACL injuries during his pro and college careers, has been cautious in declaring himself ready to play.
In the meantime, the Falcons offense has been a mess – failing to advance a single drive to the red zone in the first two games.
In addition to Penix, the status of Tua Tagovailoa – named the starter for Week 1 before suffering an oblique injury during warmups for a practice three days before the opener – is also fluid.
Of Tagovailoa, Stefanski said: “Getting better. We’ll work through it.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said about QB Michael Penix Jr.'s return
