After finding stability at the position with Matt Ryan for 14 seasons, replacing him has been anything but easy for the Atlanta Falcons. Then, last season, under first-year head coach Raheem Morris, the team made a bold move by not only signing proven veteran Kirk Cousins but also drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.
A questionable choice at the time, Penix’s drafting now appears to be one of the best moves the franchise has made in years — even though it came at the financial sacrifice of signing Cousins, who is now reportedly looking for a way out of Atlanta.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell says the Falcons should proceed with caution when it comes to Penix, however.
“Some of the worst decisions franchises can make come when the team’s incentives aren’t aligned with the people who work for the team,” Barnwell wrote. “Seven years removed from their last winning season and with a quarterback who has all of three career starts under center in Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons should not be all-in. There are reasons to be optimistic about what the future might hold, sure, but they were not one player away this offseason.”
Perhaps Penix’s lack of experience is why the Falcons have been adamant about holding onto Cousins as his backup, despite his hefty price tag as a QB2. Because as Barnwell explains, general manager Terry Fontenot may be coaching for his job.
“General manager Terry Fontenot, though, might have been one player away from having a new job. After the disastrous, virtually inexplicable decision to guarantee Kirk Cousins $90 million in March 2024 and draft Penix a month later, and its natural conclusion with Cousins being benched by the end of his first year in Atlanta, the clock has been ticking on Fontenot’s time with the Falcons.”
Fontenot is only the seventh general manager since 2000 to begin his career with four consecutive losing seasons and still hold onto his job.
That means a tremendous amount of pressure is being placed on Penix to turn things around for the Falcons in 2025. While he doesn’t have much NFL experience, his six years in college between Indiana and Washington provided him with 48 career games.
For what it’s worth, Morris said Penix is beginning to “find his voice” as the leader this offseason.
“When you take over that quarterback spot, there’s a certain humility about playing the position,” Morris said. “Then, it (comes) a certain confidence about playing the position. Eventually, it turns into a little bit of an arrogance about playing the position where it’s non-negotiable. We’re not there yet. I don’t think we will be for a little bit, but I think he’s at the mode of where he’s starting to get that confidence to be able to figure out how to get to that point.”
