Michael Penix Jr still has plenty to prove to Atlanta Falcons fans as Week 1 will mark just his fourth NFL start. The No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft threw for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns in his final season at Washington, and looks to be a perfect fit for Zac Robinson’s vertical passing scheme.
Playing alongside Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Darnell Mooney, the 25-year-old has all of the resources needed to be a Falcons success story. And ahead of a Week 1 clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up received a ringing endorsement from Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles.
"“Obviously, in the [College Football] playoff game, he’s strong-armed - very strong-armed - very accurate. He throws a great deep ball. He can check it down. He looks off very well and goes the other way. He can really put the ball in there. He can really thread needles. So if you’re not fundamentally or technically sound, he’s going to beat you.”"
Todd Bowles praises Michael Penix Jr ahead of Sunday’s NFC South battle
That kind of breakdown will sound familiar to Falcons fans who watched his college career, as the Super Bowl-winning DC's words reminded many as to why the left-handed signal-caller was so coveted as an NFL prospect.
After an injury-riddled career at Indiana, Penix made himself a household name at Washington due to his pinpoint accuracy and willingness to torch defenses downfield. Now, he’ll be asked to emulate that success against NFL defenses, starting with a Buccaneers unit eager for revenge after Atlanta swept the season series a year ago.
However, Tampa Bay’s secondary is a vulnerable group. They finished near the bottom of the NFL in pass defense in 2024 but drafted Xavier Watts’ former Notre Dame teammate Benjamin Morrison in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft but later doubled down, selecting Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the third round.
But they still have some established vets in Antoine Winfield Jr and Jamel Dean—both of whom are capable of giving Atlanta’s playmakers trouble on Sunday.
As a rookie, Penix showed a small glimpse of what he was capable of—he led a game-winning drive on Sunday Night Football and flashed a burgeoning connection with Drake London in Week 18—but the training wheels are coming off in 2025, and it all begins with a divisional test.
And if all goes well, the Falcons will have their first long-term answer under center since trading Matt Ryan—and hopefully someone to snap their playoff drought.