The Atlanta Falcons were hoping to emerge as a playoff contender in the NFC South division this season, but they have fallen flat on their face instead, posting a 5-9 record through their first 14 games. Not much has gone right for the Falcons this season, and the majority of their struggles revolve around second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
It was an inconsistent year for Penix, who didn’t look all that great during his nine games under center before he suffered a partially torn ACL that ended his season prematurely. As a result, there are some serious concerns about Penix’s future with Atlanta, but one of the team’s former head coaches, Mike Smith, isn’t all that concerned about the talented left-handed passer’s sophomore struggles.
Mike Smith Opens Up on Michael Penix Jr.’s 2025 Campaign
The Falcons shocked the NFL when they selected Penix with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, despite having signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million contract in free agency just months earlier. With Cousins laboring through his first season in Atlanta, the team eventually turned to Penix under center to close out the season.
Penix was tabbed the team’s starting quarterback heading into 2025, and after he showed off his promise late last season, expectations among fans were somewhat high. Instead, Penix won just three of his nine starts, racking up 1,982 yards and nine touchdowns during his time under center. Considering the investment the team made in him last year in the draft, it’s not unreasonable to say Penix didn’t meet the mark this season.
This was only Penix’s second year in the NFL, but Atlanta may already be getting worried about its big investment in him. Smith, however, isn’t all that concerned, as he thinks Penix’s poor play under center should have been expected, given the fact that he barely played in 2024 as a rookie and was largely learning on the fly this year.
“I thought that Penix was playing like a second-year player who only had a few games worth of snaps in his rookie year,” Smith said recently in an interview with Betway. “I still think he’s a talented player, and he can continue to grow. He’s going to be a good football player … He still has what it takes to become a franchise quarterback. He lost a lot of close games, which is going to happen. It’s just a matter of sitting in there and working through it.”
Do the Falcons Have a Michael Penix Jr. Problem?
GettyMichael Penix Jr. of the Atlanta Falcons
Penix hasn’t necessarily been bad under center for the Falcons, but he did not take the sort of step forward that the team was hoping to see from him this year. Could that force the front office to change its plans at quarterback over the offseason? Potentially, but it’s still very early in Penix’s career, so it may be a bit early to give up on him just yet.
With an outrageously expensive backup in Cousins, Atlanta has one of the most unique quarterback situations in the league. The hope was that Penix would play well and help clear up what has been a very murky situation, but that did not happen. And while he should remain the team’s starter heading into 2026, all eyes are going to be on him next season to see if he can take the next step forward in his development when he returns to the field.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former Falcons’ Head Coach Gets Real on Michael Penix Jr.’s 2025 Struggles appeared first on Heavy Sports.
