Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. comes with an extensive injury history and questions about his age.
But others see different things – perhaps him crumbling to the ground in the third quarter of Indiana’s loss to Penn State in 2021, cementing his fourth major collegiate injury in as many seasons.The Tampa, Fla., native tore his left ACL three games into his true freshman season in 2018. He re-tore the same ACL in 2020. In between, he suffered a dislocated SC joint in his right shoulder. In 2021, he dislocated a joint in his throwing shoulder after just five games.
During the pre-draft process, the Falcons took a deep-dive into Penix’s injury history, as general manager Terry Fontenot and staff spent considerable time with Atlanta’s trainers and doctors.select him No. 8 overall“It does mean a lot that he's played well these last two years,” Fontenot said. “Obviously, it's something we're always forward-thinking on in terms of doing everything we can to prevent injuries but we felt good about it.
Heinicke’s path started on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad and included a stretch where he was out of football in 2020, preparing for the next stage of his life.“There's something about people that can go through adversity, there is something about people who can handle adversity, and there is something about people who can literally bounce back from all different types of walks of life and be here,” Morris said.
Penix wasn't alone in the first round. The Commanders selected Jayden Daniels second overall, and he turns 24 in December. The Denver Broncos selected Bo Nix at No. 12, and he's already 24-years old.“That's not an issue,” Fontenot said. “We have a lot of confidence in him. And, look, the way he plays the game, we feel really good about that. Not concerned about his age in a negative way.
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