A historic number of quarterbacks could become first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. And Washington's Michael Penix Jr. is campaigning to be one of them, on Monday defending his resume, resilience and upside as a potential face of the franchise in an open letter to NFL general managers for The Players' Tribune.
Penix, who will be 24 in May, has been a popular first-round projection for plenty of analysts. But he's also got an extensive injury history, including two ACL tears, from before his transfer to Washington.
"I hear it all the time," Penix writes. "'He's been injured; what happens if he gets injured again?' Haven't I shown you what that looks like? Haven't I put almost 2,000 plays on tape since my last injury? ... Truth is, I'd be more worried if I had never been injured. We don't all come back the same. ... For most people that'd be the end of their story. But there's more to my story, and I own every page of it."
Penix continued by comparing himself to several NFL greats who overcame serious injuries during their career.
"There's [sic] been plenty of other guys who were cut from the same fabric, who experienced the same challenges, and displayed the same resilience," he writes. "Guys you would've lost money on, if you bet against them. Guys like Thomas Davis, who went on to make three Pro Bowls after tearing the same ACL three times. Guys like Frank Gore, who had a 16-year Hall-of-Fame-level career at running back after tearing his ACL twice in college.
"So I have no problem taking all the MRIs and X-rays you ask of me," he continues. "Truth is, it's an EKG that will tell you everything you need to know about me."
