Left Handed Like Vick, Pocket Presence Like Ryan, How Far Can Michael Penix Jr. Take Atlanta?

Until word spread that Cousins was headed to the bench, Penix Jr. had not even taken any snaps with the starters in practice until week 15 prep for the New York Giants. For the next three games, although winning only one of them, Penix Jr. would show the Falcons front office enough for them to feel comfortable giving the reins to Penix Jr. in the foreseeable future. 

Whether fans realize it or not, just a few weeks after bringing in Kirk Cousins, Atlanta already had a quarterback controversy by drafting Penix Jr. with the 8th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Nowadays, Atlanta's front office and its fans have a reason for optimism regarding the team's quarterback situation. Penix Jr. has been compared to Vick by having a cannon of his own while being an unorthodox lefty gunslinger. He has been compared to franchise QB Matt Ryan while having his pocket presence and traits behind the line of scrimmage. Not to mention, each has agreed to be a mentor for Penix Jr., but with most of the guidance coming from Matt Ryan.

Although Atlanta has the utmost confidence in Penix Jr. to get the job done, Cousins will be waiting in the wings for another opportunity to start if things go south for Penix Jr. Atlanta will face four teams that made the playoffs a season ago within the team's first five weeks of the season.