Falcons see aspects of Super Bowl champion QB in Michael Penix Jr.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. remains an unknown commodity after the 2024 first-round draft pick replaced veteran Kirk Cousins under center in December.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Falcons personnel see a bit of Los Angeles Rams starter and former Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford in Penix.

"Michael Penix Jr. may not have the crazy-arm-angle throws that Stafford does yet, but his arm strength, accuracy and vision have all been top shelf," Breer wrote. "And he’s improved in changing speed on the ball, layering throws, and with his base." 

Penix lost two of three starts as a rookie after the 2024 Falcons went from 6-3 to 7-7 amid Cousins' struggles. In total, Penix completed 61 of just 105 total pass attempts for 775 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions last season. 

According to Pro Football Reference, his 58.1 percent completion percentage would've had him ranked 36th in the league had he finished the campaign among qualified quarterbacks. To compare, Stafford ended last season ranked 19th in the NFL with a 65.8 percent completion percentage. 

The Athletic's Josh Kendall wrote on Aug. 4 that Penix was "below 50 percent completion percentage in at least two of the team’s" summer practices as of that time. That said, Breer noted that the 25-year-old is still developing chemistry with his targets after he spent most of his rookie season as a backup. 

"A veteran offensive line, with recently re-signed center Ryan Neuzil the only new Week 1 starter (and he started eight games for the team last year), should give Penix a nice foundation to work off of, with three old standbys (Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom, Kaleb McGary) and an ascending young guard (Matthew Bergeron) in place," Breer added. 

Unless a team unexpectedly attempts to land Cousins, he will likely still be with the Falcons during their Week 1 home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7. 

With a no-trade clause attached to Cousins' contract, some outsiders believe that Penix could be on a short leash heading into the regular season.