Washington Huskies star Michael Penix Jr. was amongst the top quarterbacks in all of college football last season, helping his team all the way to a National Championship appearance against Michigan. But one concern from some NFL teams surrounding him is his lengthy injury history, which he discussed at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday.
Penix Jr. was able to play in every game over the last two seasons during his time at Washington without any significant injuries. However, his first four years at Indiana University certainly told a different story about him as a player.
During his time at Indiana, Penix Jr. suffered two ACL tears along with injuries to each shoulder, which can obviously be a concern amongst interested teams ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
In a conversation with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Penix Jr. shared that his body “feels great” and that his injuries actually made him the quarterback he is today.
“You know, I feel great,” said Penix Jr. “You know, my injury history is what it is. But I think that everything I have been through has helped me become the person and player that I am today. That’s why I came back for a second year at the University of Washington. Just to show that I can play healthy again for another year and that I am ready for the next level. If there are still questions about it then I can’t really control it at that point.”
“I’m a proven winner.”
I caught up with Michael Penix Jr., who made his case to be an NFL team’s franchise QB — and will try to make another statement in Saturday’s throwing session. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/FsBQitHxGB
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 1, 2024
He was then asked by Pelissero to offer a “sales pitch” to NFL teams, where he said that he is a “proven winner” who can help any NFL franchise.
“I would just say that I’m a proven winner. Obviously thanks to help from my teammates. But I have found ways to win with my team in a lot of different situations. You can look at my time at Indiana. I didn’t have anyone who got drafted on the offense all four years. But we were still able to find success. So I am a proven winner and I feel like I can make every throw on the field.”
Injuries aside, Penix Jr. has certainly shown that he played a big role in some very successful teams over the years.
He will have a chance to boost his draft stock at the combine on Saturday, as he has opted to throw for interested NFL teams along with the likes of Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler amongst many others.
