ESPN.com: Atlanta Falcons

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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has not ruled out playing Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

There are just some physical benchmarks he wants to hit first before deciding, he said Wednesday.

"I'm close," Penix said. "I know I've been saying that, but it's just a couple technical things that I want to hit, some goals that I have that I want to achieve before I do step foot out on that field."

Penix has not played since tearing his left ACL in November. He was just cleared for full practices on Aug. 24, at the start of the final week of training camp. Penix said at the beginning of Week 1 that he was not ready yet for live game action.

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Cooper Rush ended up starting with Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) also out in a 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. On Wednesday, Penix split first-team reps in practice with Rush, who is also dealing with back spasms. Last week, Penix got only scout-team reps with Tagovailoa, while Rush worked with the first team.

"I'm working each and every day," Penix said. "And right now I got to be where my feet are. So, today I felt good in practice. I want to keep making strides, keep feeling better each and every day. And that's what it's about. And once my knee feel where I need it to be, I'm going to be ready to play."

Penix explained Wednesday that it's taking him a bit longer to come back because this is his third ACL surgery -- he had two on his right knee in college -- and his surgeries were different than most others.

When asked why Patrick Mahomes has been able to return already despite tearing his ACL more recently, Penix said it's because it was Mahomes' first ACL surgery. Penix said doctors had to use a quad graft for his surgery, because they already used his patella tendons for grafts in his previous two surgeries.

Penix said he also got another procedure done on his left knee for added stability.

"So, I got more done to my knee than [Mahomes] got," Penix said. "So, if you look at me after my first ACL surgery in 2018, I was back in six months. But this is my third one. I don't have the same tendons and stuff to use for this ACL graft."

Penix made it clear Wednesday that he was not facing mental hurdles, just physical ones.

"Mentally, I want to go play, but I'm not going to go out there if I don't feel where I need to be physically," Penix said.