The Pittsburgh Steelers’ regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons just got more interesting. Former first-round QB Michael Penix Jr., who is coming off a serious knee injury, will begin practicing in full on Monday, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“Mike is cleared,” Stefanski said. “He’s cleared for 11-on-11. He’ll practice Monday in team periods.”
Veteran QB Tua Tagovailoa was brought in this offseason as an alternate option as Penix recovered from a torn ACL suffered in Week 11 last season.
Just yesterday, ESPN Falcons reporter Marc Raimondi wrote that the Falcons still don’t have a QB1. In other words, Tagovailoa hasn’t done enough to lock up the job, but it may be hard for Penix to fully prepare himself with just a few weeks before the Falcons’ Week 1 game.
Even if Penix was fully healthy all offseason, it’s not immediately obvious who would be the starter. Tagovailoa has received MVP votes in the past and made a Pro Bowl just a few seasons ago on his way to signing one of the biggest contracts in NFL history. Penix, on the other hand, hasn’t justified his first-round status from an otherwise loaded 2024 QB class.
Starting 12 games in two seasons, Penix has a 4-8 record with a 59.6 career completion percentage, 12 TDs, and six INTs. There were brief flashes last season, including a 313-yard game against the Washington Commanders, but nothing to lock him in as a definite starter whenever healthy.
If the Falcons have a plan, they are playing things pretty close to the vest. They may look to their preseason finale next week for guidance to see how ready Penix is to take his talents to the regular season for meaningful football.
No matter what, the Steelers will be facing a left-handed quarterback Week 1, which gives T.J. Watt the blind side to rush from. But they may have to wait a week or two before they know exactly who to game plan for.