The Falcons now have a new head coach and President of Football, and in the coming days, they’re expected to name their next general manager. Once that happens, those three will have to come together to address the most important position in all of sports.
The future of Michael Penix Jr. is fascinating from every angle. He flashed at times during his first season as a starter, but overall, he was unequivocally a bottom-10 quarterback in the NFL — a player who more often held the team back than helped it win.
That’s not unusual for a first-year starter, but what’s far more concerning is the injury history. A torn ACL ended Penix’s season, the third such injury of his young career. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be ready for Week 1, meaning at a minimum, the Falcons will need to bring in a quarterback they’re comfortable starting games.
How aggressively they approach that task will speak volumes. For now, though, the public stance appears to be that the Falcons believe Penix can be the long-term answer under center.
“I think you see a player on tape that can get through progressions, can layer the ball, can push the ball to all areas of the field,” Kevin Stefanski said in his introductory press conference. “Obviously, he was very productive in college, has had some really, really, really good moments here in the pros, so I just see a young player that will continue to develop and continue to get there.”
The hope is that Stefanski and Penix end up being the perfect pairing. Matt Ryan even highlighted Stefanski’s ability to build a dominant rushing attack and marry it with play-action concepts, a combination that can make life much easier for an inexperienced quarterback — something that was noticeably lacking under former offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Who deserves the bulk of the blame for the Falcons’ offensive struggles will become clearer next season, with Robinson remaining in the division to run the offense in Tampa Bay.
Still, what’s said publicly doesn’t always reflect what’s being discussed behind closed doors. There has to be at least some level of concern about Penix’s level of play in 2025, compounded by his injury history. As things stand, he’s the only quarterback guaranteed to be on the roster next season. Of course the people in charge are going to talk him up, but that tune could change quickly if an opportunity presents itself to add another starting-caliber quarterback this offseason.
Penix may have been a top-10 pick, but this new regime had nothing to do with that decision. From this point forward, everything will be earned, and that’s a difficult task while rehabbing from yet another gut-wrenching injury.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon
