Michael Penix, Jr. Joins Five Rookie Quarterbacks in Action
With Michael Penix, Jr. now starting, five of the top six rookie quarterbacks are making their mark in the league this season
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta, NFL, Rookie Quarterbacks, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Drake Maye
Atlanta: The 2024 draft was a big deal, especially for quarterbacks. Out of the first 12 picks, six were QBs. Now, with Michael Penix, Jr. stepping up as the starter for the Falcons, five of those six are actually playing.
In Week 1, three rookie quarterbacks snagged starting jobs. Caleb Williams from the Bears went first overall, followed by Jayden Daniels with the Commanders, and Bo Nix with the Broncos at twelfth. Drake Maye, the third pick, just made his debut in Week 6.
Now, as we look ahead to Week 16, Penix is finally getting his chance. The only one left out is J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings, who’s sidelined with a knee injury.
Penix has had a couple of brief appearances in games, but they were pretty rough. He played during a 34-14 loss to the Seahawks and a 38-6 blowout against the Broncos. He’s thrown five passes and completed three, with a passer rating of 83.7. That’s actually a big deal since Cousins’s rating dropped below 80 in his last five games.
So, how will Penix perform? Honestly, he just needs to be a bit better than Cousins has been lately, and that’s not a super high bar right now.