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4 hours ago
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The Atlanta Falcons are entering year two of the Michael Penix Jr. experience. Last season began as the Kirk Cousins show, but that quickly changed once Cousins began to struggle significantly. Now, as Penix prepares for his second year, it’s clear this is his team. Heading into the new season, he’s being viewed as a strong breakout candidate.
"Penix only started three games across five appearances as a rookie, totaling just 114 dropbacks, but there’s a lot of encouragement to take from that small sample size, as he also finished with an 87.6 passing grade, a 9.0% big-time-throw rate and a 1.7% turnover-worthy-play rate, which all ranked top-five among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks in 2024. The Falcons offense has the weapons in place for Penix to keep his encouraging play going across an entire season as he officially steps into a full-time starting role for the first time in his NFL career," Jonathon Macri said.
Penix has also been going viral in recent days for his response to a light-hearted question about when he takes off his durag.
"I was like, alright, since everybody wanna know what’s under there, I ain’t gonna show nobody. You gotta catch me at like a dinner with Arthur Blank," Penix said.
In another video circulating online, Penix was seen dining at a Waffle House in Atlanta, chatting with former Falcons legend Matt Ryan. Ryan appears to be stepping into a mentorship role, inviting Penix to dinner.
"Mike, I’ll see you for dinner next week or two," Ryan told Penix.
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It’s clear the past and present are connecting well in Atlanta. Most importantly, Ryan seems committed to guiding Penix as he transitions into a starting role. With Ryan’s legacy as one of the most successful quarterbacks in franchise history, he’s doing his part to help ensure Penix has a similar path to success.
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