Is It Too Early to Call Michael Penix Jr. a Bust?

For the second week in a row, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousin will take the first snap for the Atlanta Falcons as the starting QB following Michael Penix Jr’s recent injury, and for the later part of the year, it looks like Kirk is QB1. Of course Penix can’t do anything about an unfortunate injury, but could this be a blessing in disguise, and is it too early to label Penix as a bust?

When the Falcons signed former Vikings and Redskins QB Kirk Cousin to a massive deal during last year's offseason, the Falcons were expected to be heading in an upwards direction, with lots of valuable draft capital, everything looked like it was finally falling into place for Atlanta. However, that was not the case after the massive punt they took in last year's draft, and shocked the entire NFL world after using their 8th overall pick in the draft to draft another QB.

Michael Penix Jr was one of the best QB’s to come into the 2024 draft class, and what he did with Washington was sensational. Nevertheless, nobody thought he would be a top 10 guy, and especially nobody thought he would end up being a Falcon. The selection left every team, every fanbase, and most of all Kirk Cousins in shock and confusion, but it looked as if Atlanta were taking a calculated gamble at securing their future QB1, but a year and a half into his career, top 10 caliber isn’t exactly what you could call him.

Through his first 14 NFL games, Penix has averaged a 59.6% completion percentage, and threw for a total of 2,757 yards with 12 passing touchdowns. His stats are not awful for a guy who has very little NFL experience, however for what you want out of a top 10 pick, he isn’t playing to his value. Penix was a guy who looked very capable as a dual threat guy, and coming into a team with elite weapons such as Drake London, it seemed there would be no issue with his passing capabilities, but, the chemistry just has not formed so far.

After suffering a partial ACL tear, Penix’s season is now over, and with Kirk Cousins taking the reins for the last half of the year, the Falcons will have a lot of time to think, and evaluate Penix, and what they can improve as a group. Cousins didn’t have the best start to his Falcons career either, however given what the circumstances could end up looking like, big QB decisions could be made soon in Atlanta. For a guy who has so much promise, and so much more to give, it would be crazy to call Penix a bust right now, having played less than a full seasons worth of games, the Tennessee native is still trying to find his feet, and with some big offseason changes, a healthy recovery, and some solid development, Penix still has a lot to prove, but that spark is wearing thin, and he has to improve quickly.