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If the Vikings make Michael Penix Jr. their next quarterback, he will have earned it

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·3 min read

INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Penix Jr. had a perfect comeback when somebody tried to bait him on Friday morning at the NFL Combine.

Asked if the fact that his stock is falling puts a chip on his shoulder, Penix replied, “Somebody said that?” The reporter that shouted the question stumbled on his words while trying to think of a response. That gave Penix a chance to make his point before moving on.

“I don’t know about all that,” Penix said. “I’m just being myself each and every day. I’m getting better every day. I can’t control that stuff.”

If Penix does end up falling in the 2024 NFL Draft, the biggest reason would be his medical records. Though he flourished last season while leading Washington to an appearance in the national championship, Penix started his career at Indiana where he twice suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament to go along with a significant injury to both shoulders.

Does he worry that some teams might be worried about his medical records?

“Not really,” Penix said. “I can’t control if there are still questions about that stuff.”

Notably, he played the past couple of seasons at Washington without any issues, paving the way for his prolific production. He completed 362 of 554 passes for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns, then followed it up by completing 363 of 555 passes for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns.

“I feel like I can fit in with any offense,” Penix said. “I feel like with what I bring to the table I’m going to be able to elevate everybody around me.”

That’s something the Vikings have certainly taken notice of at the NFL Combine. They had a formal interview with Penix this week as they sift through their options heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

“It was great,” Penix said. “I feel like that’s a good organization over there and they showed a lot of good things.”

The next step for Penix is performing on Saturday afternoon during the workouts on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. As excited as he is to throw for the teams in attendance, however, he emphasized how it won’t fully showcase his skill set.

“There’s a lot of people who ask, ‘Why don’t I run?'” Penix said. “I feel like the way I process the defense, and the way I process the game, I do it so quick that I really don’t have to run. I know where to get the ball to and I’m confident in my decisions. I feel like everything I do on the field translates to success.”

Now that he’s on the precipice of fulfilling a lifelong dream, Penix is proud of the fact that he never let adversity stand in his way. Not that throwing in the towel was ever an option for him.

“Since I was a kid giving up was never in my blood,” Penix said. “My parents never let me quit anything in my life. It was always, if I start something, I was going to finish it. I knew I was never going to give up.”

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