Penix Gets the Nod for Chicago. The Safety Net Is Still Gone.

Michael Penix Jr. is cleared to start against the Bears on Sunday, which is the good news. The bad news is everything that hasn't changed around him.

The rib injury that knocked him out against Baltimore — in overtime, as noted here two days ago — has apparently healed enough to put him back under center for what amounts to a must-win situation. The Falcons are holding a playoff spot, but this roster has been operating without a functional backup quarterback all season. Cooper Rush is still on the depth chart. That's the contingency plan. One more Penix injury and Atlanta is back in the same conversation it has been having since September.

The Bears game also brings a small wrinkle worth noting: Atlanta traded for Gervon Dexter from Chicago back in August, so the Falcons will see a former Bear on their defensive line while facing his old team. That's a footnote. The real story is that Penix is the only quarterback on this roster capable of running the offense that Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts Sr. were built around, and he has now been hurt twice in the same season. The margin for error behind him is essentially zero.

If Penix stays healthy Sunday, Atlanta probably handles its business. If he doesn't, the Falcons will be starting from scratch at quarterback for the third time this year, with the playoff picture tightening around them.