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New Atlanta Falcons Leadership Shies Away From Michael Penix
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- New Atlanta Falcons Leadership Shies Away From Michael Penix
Now that all 10 teams that had vacancies have hired a new head coach, the next cycle of NFL rumors will involve player transactions. As the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Michael Penix Jr. is probably safe from being traded from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason.
Yet, that doesn't mean the 25-year-old's status as the team's franchise quarterback is secure either. That's especially true with a new team president, general manager, and head coach taking over in Atlanta.
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On Tuesday, Falcons president of football Matt Ryan was asked about Atlanta's commitment to Penix, who's rehabbing a partially torn ACL. Ryan didn't give Penix a ringing endorsement, instead saying that he is not equipped to determine the team's 2026 starting quarterback, while admitting "conversations" need to be had about Atlanta's QB room.
"Neither of us are the head coach of the football team, so we can't answer your question on that. I think as we start to get into this process and dive deeper into the roster — how it currently stands, where it's going in the future — I think those are conversations that'll be a part of it. Quarterback's obviously very important, and we're excited about Mike and what he's doing with his rehab. I've been up at the facility the last three weeks, and Michael's been in there attacking that and he's in a good space right now, so we're excited about where he is at. But certainly, a lot of discussions for us about the entire roster."
Penix has started 12 games since becoming the Falcons' first-round pick two years ago. That's just two more starts than Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy , who was selected two picks after Penix and has also yet to establish a footing as Minnesota's franchise QB . The Falcons have gone just 4-8 in Penix's starts, but as Ryan noted, there are "a lot of discussions" to be had about the entirety of Atlanta's roster, including the QB room.
While we don't imagine the Falcons are ready to move on from their first-round pick from two years ago, it's hard to envision Atlanta not bringing in some more competition. Or, they could just keep Kirk Cousins and hope a coaching change makes the biggest difference for an offense that ranked 24th in scoring last season.
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