When the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, just about everyone wondered what they were doing. That especially included Kirk Cousins, who had just signed a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency.
But when Cousins was benched late last season as a result of a horrific stretch of play, the Falcons’ decision to take Penix became much more clear. Their choice to sign Cousins, however, ended up being much more head-scratching.
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Regardless, Penix is clearly Atlanta’s quarterback heading into 2025, and while he only threw three touchdowns to go along with three interceptions in five appearances and three starts during his rookie campaign, there is plenty of reason to be excited about the 25-year-old.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently outlined why there should be considerable hype surrounding Penix going into his second season and unveiled a rather tremendous comparison for him in the process: Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford.
“You can see why Raheem Morris’s Rams-centric staff got Matthew Stafford vibes studying and working out the ex-Washington quarterback before the draft, and why those have only gotten stronger since,” Breer wrote. “He may not have all the arm angles or game-tested savvy that Stafford has yet, but there’s plenty of reason to be excited about where he’s headed.”
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Penix put together two terrific seasons at Washington in 2022 and 2023 after transferring over from Indiana, leading the Huskies all the way to the National Championship Game during his final collegiate campaign. That season, Penix led the country with 4,903 passing yards and tossed 36 touchdowns and 11 picks.
Armed with an overlooked receiving corps led by Drake London and Darnell Mooney as well as one of the league’s best running backs in Bijan Robinson, Penix will have plenty of weapons at his disposal this coming season.
Whether or not he will be able to take advantage of his arsenal remains to be seen.
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