Michael Penix Jr. must get over 'hurdle' to be Falcons starting QB

0:00Hey, it's Jen Hatmaker. Here's what I've learned in midlife. Joy isn't the reward you earn after all the work is done. Joy is the work. That's what this new series on For the Love is all about. The sacred, yes. It's choosing delight, rest, and pleasure on purpose. Because saying yes to yourself, that's the thing that finally lets you fill your table with everybody else. Come find your sacred, yes, with me. Follow and listen to For the Love wherever you get your podcasts. He's not 100% Duke St. Bell Sports Radio 92 9 in the game. It was a long, fun, labor day. Hope you guys enjoyed it. But as this news dropped on on Monday, Mike, you know, I think Falcon Country and Falcon Nation was like, what's going on? And again, Mike said it. If the quarterback comes to you and says, I'm not ready to play, what are you going to do? You're going to force the hand? No, you're just going to let it play out. Right. But we got to make decisions and you got to try to do what's best for the team. The thing that we've discussed today, or at least one aspect of this is, all this is coming from him. The coaches are not forcing this. This

1:05is not Kevin's defense key or Tommy Reese going, you know what? We can't play him. They're asking where you at what where I think Mike, if it was left up to them, they would want him to try to play. But they're not going to say that publicly, right? They're not going to force that issue. And then you go, all right, well, this is why again, they kept four quarterbacks. And that whole thing seemed weird when the roster is remembered, the roster cuts. But now, you know, you look at this and pinnocks being inactive, it totally makes sense. So two was starting on Sunday. We've got Cooper rushes. The backup strand is the emergency guy, Mike. And that's how this will look at least for the time being, right? So whether they knew this all along, and this was always the plan now, I'd like to say, okay, or so the ceiling games out the window. How about week two against Caroline? How about that at home? Pantics? Yes. Caroline of Panthers week two. How about that? Okay. And the other thing is, and this is probably the one that most of our audience doesn't buy is what if two does well, you know, because everybody's written two off already. Yeah, they have. I mean, I'm not really interested in two, but what if he, you know,

2:07he is a veteran, he has experience, he has a high percentage, a completion percentage, his whole career, you're not throwing a rookie out there. No, I mean, it's not like he hasn't seen top defense. No, again, he, the guy was, he was a top 10 quarterback, then he wasn't. Now, what's he going to be? Okay, he's also got his own crossroads here. And he doesn't give a flip about Michael Pettics, dude, you'll say all the nice things, but he's trying to, he's trying to go get another job. Yeah, you know, so what if two does well? And what is, what is well enough if the Falcons, if Matt Ryan, and he, not that they have, but if Matt Ryan and Ian cutting him and the brain trust that we really got, we got to get this evaluation of Pettics. Well, I, we got to get, we got to see what we got, which we got to make a decision on this guy. This gets interesting to me because if you're losing, but the quarterback is not the reason why. Then what's your excuse for making the change? You follow me? You're losing, but Pettics or, or Tua is playing at a high enough level where you go wait a minute. I've said this to you, Mike, 252.75, two touchdowns, no turnovers, but we lose on him,

3:09no fumbles, no silly, silly giveaways. Like those are the things where you go, all right, if you're being competent and you're playing that way and you go, well, yeah, we're just going to make a change. You make the change because you say, well, we're losing, but really the quarterback has not the reason why. And so I think again, we're going to see Michael pinnocks at some point. I do not know what the timetable is. We've been talking about this damn timetable guys for six months, six months. We've been talking about the date. And when are we going to get the timetable? Didn't we have a sound bite from Mike from earlier this camp where he said the doctor said he'll never ever problem with that knee. He did. Like right, or maybe that sound bite. Like we were talking about forest, like magic legs, you know, I mean, okay, what was it? It was a bold problem. Yeah, I mean, and like, I don't know if the orthopedist really say that, I don't know either way, but if Mike needs that to get some confidence, fine, guys, at the end of the day, we just want to see him after that's why if you feel it, you guys are being petty, being bullish. Now, you want to see my franchise quarterback get established. Otherwise, we're going to go right back to the drawing board next year and draft one. That's that's why all these guys are like, yeah, basically, not ready. He's not ready. So when is he going to be ready? When do we get the full

4:12sample size? It's already by definition, not a full season for him. I mean, this is why I get frustrated. And I don't understand why people aren't as frustrated. You've got the patience of jumping. This is any other player who you didn't identify as you for whatever is you identify. It's a good guy. I don't know and debates that you would have already been like whatever. Nobody's nobody's texting me about braille and trice. Nobody's telling me to give breath. I bang the drum for braille and trice because I think I thought he had promise. But now he's in the same boat as Pettics. You say it's probably not going to happen for him, but you guys are in denial over it. Here's Michael a few months or a few weeks earlier. I went and saw the doctor before camp starting. He's like, this is amazing. He's like, you should never have any more knee problems for the rest of your career. That's worth for what he told me. So it's like, okay, I hear that. But it's like, all right. Now I got to and I'm like, all right, do I trust that? I went to do I trust that's why we said guys, no one debates. The guys toughness. We've seen him play and make big plays already for us. But this is the mental aspect that you keep bringing up. But it's a valid point. No, it is. I don't

5:14have to do is listen to it in his own words day day. But let me ask you some. You guys ever had any injury not not trying to be funny, but injuries that you had to recover from when you were like when you did play sports in your days and stuff. Right. Did you ever at times feel something when you were like, I don't know if that's how that's supposed to feel? So did a one. I'm just asking. No, no, no. So because I didn't go pro and I wasn't a professional. So I don't linger on my college stuff. But a knee injury injured my career. And I was never the fastest guy. You know, it was it was there were things that I knew I was up against. Okay. But because of the recovery. Okay. And we're going back guys. This is again late 90s. All right. Technology is a lot better than it is now. But at the end of the day, like I knew, okay, you know what? I can come back. But it's an uphill battle. And you know, they're recruiting better guys than I am right now. And I'm coming back off this injury. I'm not I'm still not the player that I was in my head. I knew I

6:17wasn't going to win. I wasn't going to be what I wanted to be cool. I'm there's a lot of guys who are listening right now who know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm resolved to saying I'm all right with that, right? But I wasn't a quarterback. And the point I'm making is at that position, it's different. It's different day day. It is offensive. Offensive lineman. Ask Mike Johnson. Offensive lineman. Get hurt all the time. Okay. They come and go. Quarterback is different. And I just feel like there's a lot more pressure to show up. And certainly if you're physically cleared to go out and perform and show your teammates. It's not even about it's not even about us. It's not about the fans. So yes, to your to your point. Yeah, there's been injuries. I've experienced that and that three. I don't know too many people who have. But the idea is there have been injuries for for many guys who are listening right now who said, you know what? I ain't coming back from this. I can't be the same dude. I'm good. And here he is battling this.

7:21And what I'm telling you is mentally, I'm about to cuss. That blank is hard. It is hard. So I get it from where he's sitting. I really do. But it's also something you have to overcome if you're ever going to be great again. And that is the point that I don't know if he knows he can tell me he wants to and he can tell me he's doing all the work and he can tell me he's walking his walk and which he's doing all those things. But if you don't mentally overcome that bro, I'm telling you right now, you know what happens? Ready. Set. And I'm getting rid of this damn thing. Because I am not confident to sit where I need to sit and look around the pocket and do the things I need to do because I don't want to get hurt again, man. Does that make sense? It does. You know, I only asked that question because when he was asked, and I think we, I don't know if we have that cut on there or not if they got to that one. But he was asked what, what hurdles do you need to get over? And his exact answer was I'm just not 100%. You didn't say in what capacity.

8:22Yes, but what might so what I'm saying? But Mike's playing that sound by to tell you the doctor is telling him. I understand that. But what I'm saying is going back to my question, like sometimes you may they may tell you one thing, but you know your body. And when you've had three ACL surgeries, right? You know what feels right and what doesn't feel right. And I'm just saying maybe that's a place he's in right now where he knows he's still feeling right. He's still feeling right. Well, again, I hope I hope he finds the confidence to get out there. And I hope we get to see him out here before the season passes. Oh, I mean, let's be honest. I mean, it's his career is out. And this one I'm trying to explain. I ladies have everyone cousins exactly where we're talking already to explain that and we talked about it. And again, if you can't tell the difference who in a guy who was established in this league who made a hundred million dollars guaranteed, who again, coached a bench them for a week to get him to heal up. There was a lack of common sense on a number of levels. First, the guy who hasn't established himself yet, who's got an injury history. That's the thing. All these guys like, well, he's had three. Yes, exactly. You're making

9:24the argument for me. He's had three knee injuries. You never should have drafted him. The odds of this guy surviving a five or six year NFL career probably a thousand to one. Let's just let's find out what this guy is. And let's get on with it. So I know you can either take the heat, do the job or I draft another freaking quarterback next year. Hello, the clock is ticking. But Mike, you don't think he knows that well, okay. Well, you don't think as you're like, you said, when the professional quarter wins the right time. So when's the right time, Day Day? Whenever he feels it's the right thing. You don't think he realizes that if I'm waiting too long, I don't know. I don't know that. I don't know that. I don't know why Mike has to realize that. He's an NFL player. Well, guess what? Not for long. You're just gonna ask out there. Sorry, I'm laughing at this. I mean, like, it's a different. I'm above the line, Day Day. You're below the line. You're making excuses. I'm making a reality. This is no reality. Is this dude has been to your point? You've said it over and over. Three ACL surgeries. He knows what it's going to, he knows what he needs

10:29to feel like. He also knows that he is putting, he is taking a major risk by saying, I'm not ready to go yet. He knows that. Can I ask you this? Because we're up against it. Trust us. There's more of this to come. Six weeks. Six weeks. I mean, what's, give me a number. I mean, I don't know, but I would say three. And by the way, I would say three. Oh, so when do you get impatient? When do you wrap? I'm not impatient because I just want to win. But we do have two is the guy that can get us gazed and so big. Okay. He comes back whenever he comes back. But when do you actually get to a point where I'm at? Where you go? I'm passing. I'm passing. This is his, this is his decision. Yes. This is his, this is his risk. It is. He's rolling the dice passing him by. He's rolling the dice. All I care now is like, look, can you get the job done? That's it. I would, the YouTube video right now, Carl just kind of just sitting in the middle just watching, just looking at that. That happened. That's great. No, I love it. Dayday is very passionate about

11:30this. And he's giving Michael Pinnix some grace. Many of you are not bright. And many of you are like me who want to question the mentality of where his head is at. It ain't even more like a doll. We need dogs. We do. All right, guys, we are live tomorrow, Mike. Napa auto parts. Yeah, man, we're going to be hitting the road. It's down on Jonesboro Road. It's tomorrow, Lake City. We do this every year. I think it's our fifth year. We've done this. And we don't give away the flags until five. Now you're welcome to come by hang out. Say hi. And in fact, don't feed the DJs. Very last time everybody was bringing us stuff. But anyway, we always appreciate that. But we'll be at Napa and the Falcons will be there with their promo team. And the flag giveaway starts at five o'clock. So if you head down the south side, everyone always says, when you come to south side, we're going to be down there, guys. It's always a blast. So get there and be ready to rock. And five o'clock flag giveaway for the Falcons. Napa flags. All right, turtles out there. I just spoke with him. He's got a lot on his mind. Stay there. He's got a full show for you. Coming in hot. I think so. All right. Maybe day day is going to stick around for it. Hey, let's get out of here. We clear out though. No. Duke's and Bella wrapping up another show. So it's time for me. Clean my

12:34clothes. I'm sports radio. I need you. Nine. Oh, the game. Hey, thanks to all of our guests today. Tomorrow we're heading to Pittsburgh. You want to know what the latest is on the Steelers? Be here. We will get the 411 and all the details and tea on the Steelers as we get ready for Sunday's matchup. Also, Wes Drew Ham is set to join us for his first weekly visit, guys. As we'll talk to the voice, we'll get some calls for ball conversation in there as well. Wes is always great about that. So make sure you're here starting at two o'clock tomorrow. And if you come down, man, to a nap a auto parts, we'd love to get a chance to see you. Again, flags won't be handed out until around five o'clock. Right. Okay. All right. Then it's first come first. That's great. Oh, great job. Dayday executive producing. Great job as well. And thank you guys for being here and making us. The number one sports station and number one sports show. Mike Bell. Clear throat. Hey, man. You guys play poker, whether it's Texas Holden, you play with your boys, you know, five, ten blinds. You got rags. You can't bluff, man. You can. We got to see it through. You got to hope that the other guys chicken out. Game of chicken with the SEC and LSUs,

13:36what I'm talking about. If you're really thinking about having a boat to kick LSU out, you're going to be prepared to see it through. I think this is just another and a litany of a guy. I thought was pretty good at his job, but I'm losing confidence. And I wonder if other folks are on the SCS. And Greg Sanky, what are you doing here? Yeah, LSU. Now the governor's back down. So maybe the game of chicken is working. But I always said, man, if you're going to threaten something, you better be prepared to do it. Yeah, there's no doubt. Hey, we learned a lot. Well, did we, the first week in a college football, it was entertaining, but there were a lot of cupcakes. And sometimes you can learn things and sometimes you don't learn anything. I'm looking forward to the bigger matchups, but there were moments this week. Every week on the Moth podcast, you'll hear true stories that will intrigue you, inspire you, and make you laugh. He says, is there anything and you're diet that might be spiking your blood sugar. I said, sometimes I eat pizza until I'm unconscious. He said, I think that might be it. For real stories live on stage from comedians, astronauts,

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