Penix (ACL) said Wednesday that when speaking with doctors last week, he was told he was still one month removed from recovery, D. Orlando Ledbetter of BowTieSports.com reports.
Penix also said that doctors told him he is further along in his recovery than expected, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com, but it's possible the 2024 first-rounder won't be cleared to participate in team reps for three more weeks, which would roughly align with the nine-month mark of his recovery from knee surgery undergone to repair a torn left ACL. Meanwhile, with Tua Tagovailoa (back tightness) also currently dealing with injury, Atlanta has signed Cooper Rush to provide depth at quarterback alongside undrafted rookie Jack Strand. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that the Falcons still have optimism that Penix could be cleared in time to log preseason action, so it's possible he could be ready for 11-on-11 drills before late August. That said, head coach Kevin Stefanski relayed Wednesday that he does not have an exact timetable for Penix to be fully cleared, per Raimondi.