2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. is seemingly not looking over his shoulder while serving as the Atlanta Falcons’ full-time starting quarterback, even though veteran Kirk Cousins remains on the roster.
During a recent chat with Bryant McFadden of CBS Sports, Penix offered a bold prediction regarding what the Atlanta offense will become later this year.
“It’s going to be great,” Penix said, as shared by Stephen Douglas of Sports Illustrated. “Just seeing what the guys have been doing. The buy-in that each and every player’s been having. Obviously, the skill level is there. It’s about making it happen now. …Coach is gonna call the plays for us to be great, and we gotta go out there and do it. And I can see those guys doing it each and every day. And it’s only gonna continue to get better. By the time Week 1 comes, I can see us on the road and nothing should stop us from being the best offense in the league, and that’s something we’re always striving for.”
ESPN stats show that the Falcons ended the 2024 regular season ranked sixth in the NFL with an average of 369.8 offensive yards gained per game and tied for 13th with an average of 22.9 points scored per contest. Of course, the previously mentioned Cousins was Atlanta’s QB1 as the club went 7-7 across its first 14 games. Penix then lost two of three starts after he replaced Cousins in December.
During his rookie campaign, Penix completed 58.1 percent of 105 passes for 775 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also tallied a rushing score.
For an article published on Monday, The Athletic’s Josh Kendall noted that Penix “has been below 50 percent completion percentage in at least two of the team’s practices” this summer. That’s a worrisome stat considering Penix would’ve ended last season ranked 35th out of 36 signal-callers in completion percentage if he finished among qualified players.
In short, whispers about the Falcons possibly turning back to Cousins will only grow louder if Penix is responsible for too many inaccurate throws during Atlanta’s first few games of the upcoming season. Penix will look to silence such chatter when Atlanta hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 on Sept. 7.
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