SI's QB Rankings Place Michael Penix Jr. Above Aaron Rodgers And Tua Tagovailoa

The franchise keys have been handed to Michael Penix Jr. while high-paid backup Kirk Cousins lies in wait on the bench. Penix Jr. has all the support in the world from his teammates and coaching staff, and a lot will be determined during the first five weeks of the season when Atlanta plays four playoff teams from a year ago during that span.

I do not believe that Penix Jr. will be on a short leash by any stretch of imagination, but if things were to go south, when should you pull him in favor of Kirk Cousins? He is indeed the future in Atlanta when it comes to the quarterback position, so to keep his motivation high and mental stability on par, it would be important not to let things get out of hand.

Verderame's ranking system values what the QBs have done during the particular season, rather than what they have done in the past. Penix Jr. comes in at number 20 on the list, and Verderame would say, "Penix now leads a team with real talent on offense, led by 1,000-yard receiver Drake London and Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson."

"A key factor for Penix will be the play of tight end Kyle Pitts, who will be entering the final year of his rookie contract. Pitts has disappointed since his 1,000-yard rookie campaign, with only 1,625 receiving yards over the past three years."