Michael Penix Jr. addresses injury concerns in pre-draft letter

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. used The Players' Tribune to campaign for himself ahead of possibly becoming a first-round draft pick this coming Thursday night. 

"Four season-ending injuries in four years, Mike," Penix wrote in a letter published on Monday. "How do I reconcile that?" 

Specifically, Penix tore his right anterior cruciate ligament twice and suffered injuries to both shoulders over four seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers before he transferred to Washington in December 2021. He missed no games, practices or offseason workouts as a member of the Huskies. 

"I hear it all the time," Penix continued. "'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? Since my 'fourth-season ending injury in four years' that’s constantly mentioned whenever my name is brought up?" 

Regarding just talent and on-the-field abilities, Penix has been named by some as the second-best quarterback in the draft behind only USC star Caleb Williams. Most assume that the Chicago Bears will draft Williams with the first overall pick on Thursday. Meanwhile, a handful of CBS Sports analysts predicted in their latest mock drafts that Penix won't be a first-round selection largely because of his alarming injury history. 

"To think injuries are the only adversity I’ve faced in college would be shortchanging my story," Penix said in his letter. "I faced adversity before I even got to college. Two weeks before signing day I was told by the team I was committed to for two years that I no longer had a scholarship. They didn’t think I was good enough to play in the SEC. I decided to go to Indiana because Nick Sheridan was the QB coach, and he believed in me from the time he offered me at Tennessee to when he took his position at Indiana."

On Monday afternoon, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that "some believe Penix will be taken in the top half of round one." It's thought that the Minnesota Vikings could consider grabbing Penix with the 11th overall pick if Minnesota is unable/unwilling to trade up in the draft order with a different signal-caller in mind. 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Las Vegas Raiders as the betting favorites at +260 odds to draft Penix. The Raiders hold the 13th overall pick and reportedly "really do like" Penix.