FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons took to the field under cloudy skies for their first practice of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
The session felt much like many of their practices during phase III of Organized Team Activities, with periods of individual work interspersed with 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Several players were limited in some capacity, including quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who continues to work through rehab on a surgically repaired ACL, and did not participate in the full-team periods.
“We’ll continue with the plan with what Mike has done to date,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said of Penix’s participation in practice. “Very pleased with the work that he’s putting in. Like I mentioned to you guys before, he’s exactly where he needs to be, and we’ll just continue to lean on medical and Mike and continue to make good decisions for his rehabilitation.”
Penix has been participating in all other aspects of practice, including individual quarterback drills with position coach Alex Van Pelt. Some of those drills specifically target a quarterback’s footwork when dropping out from under center, which has been an element of Stefanski’s past offensive schemes.
In anything movement-related, Penix has looked sharp and shown no signs of discomfort. Still, the Falcons are taking a careful approach regarding the health of their former first-round draft pick. Near the end of Tuesday’s practice, Penix got a good deal of work during a 7-on-7 period. The results were mixed. His passes looked crisp and he had a good rhythm to his throws, but the connection was off slightly. He had a few passes land just a little out of reach of his intended receiver, including balls to Kyle Pitts, Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson in the end zone. There were a pair of dropped passes that should not be counted as demerits for Penix, however, and his confidence in throwing the ball was noteworthy.
“Each and every day I’m trying to get better,” Penix said after practice. “Doing whatever I can to help this team win football games, that’s the ultimate goal.”
Penix explained that “the expectation” is for him to be ready to participate in 11-on-11 drills during training camp, but he quickly added that he’d need clearance from his doctor for that to happen. The third-year quarterback said it was tough for him not to be out there fully playing the game he loves, but he understands that he has to consider his body and long-term health as well as his “want to play.”
“From Day 1 to how I feel now doing every drill, I feel those differences,” Penix said. “It’s not just one specific thing. It’s everything that I’m doing. Each and every day that I come out here, I feel better than the day before, so I feel like that’s a good thing.”
