Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. found himself in the middle of a skirmish during a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday in Flowery Branch, Ga.

Penix and several Titans defenders exchanged words after the former completed a long pass to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud. Tensions escalated to the point that Penix was knocked to the ground, prompting players from both teams to come off the sideline.

“I gave them my words, and probably went a little too far,” said Penix, 25, who was not injured in the scrum. “I was somebody else. I don’t even remember.”

Falcons quarterbacks coach DJ Williams was pleased that Penix’s teammates had his back.

“Obviously, you don’t want that, but I take some positive out of it,” Williams said. “Like you saw the guys take up for him and I think that speaks to his leadership and who he is in that locker room. Obviously as coaches we’re upstairs, they’re downstairs. We don’t really see a lot, but obviously he has a relationship and the trust of the guys because everybody ran to his defense. So, I think that’s a good thing for the Falcons.”

Penix, the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, played in five games in his rookie season. He completed 61 of 105 passes (58.1 percent) for 775 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

–Field Level Media