The name of the game in the modern NFL is treating the quarterback position like a puzzle. An elite QB will always elevate an offense, but sometimes, like a puzzle, the scheme doesn't fit quite right. That's how we saw Sam Darnold become a Super Bowl champion after four teams cast him aside.
Nowadays, every team is looking for their own Darnold, the Atlanta Falcons included. Finding a QB like Patrick Mahomes is an opportunity that only comes around once in a generation, so everyone is chomping at bit to give signal-callers who were previously looked at as draft busts a second opportunity to prove themselves, often times in a better situation.
One of the younger QBs looking to follow Darnold's career trajectory is Anthony Richardson. Since the Indianapolis Colts drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, not only has Richardson been wildly disappointing, he's been limited to just 15 starts due to injury concerns.
Even though he tore his Achilles midseason, Daniel Jones' breakout year made Richardson's future in Indy even muddier. We just got confirmation, as ESPN's Stephen Holder reported earlier this week that the 23-year-old is expected to seek a trade this offseason, and the Falcons should steer clear of acquiring him.
The Falcons need to steer clear of Anthony Richardson by any means necessary
Unless the Dirty Birds are getting the Brock Osweiler treatment to take Richardson off the Colts' hands, they have no reason to be involved. What is the point of trying to turn around the career of another highly-touted QB when you haven't even finished the development of your other young QB?
We know Kirk Cousins will be gone, but too many Falcons fans are too quick to write Michael Penix Jr. off. The injury history is a major red flag, but we know he's on a positive trajectory to be back in Week 1 of 2026. Not to mention, he's already shown significantly more franchise QB potential than Richardson ever has, so he deserves a shot to see how he'll fare in Kevin Stefanski's system.
Penix can make all the throws asked of him, but circling back to my puzzle analogy, Zac Robinson's scheme was an awful fit for him. He's not someone you run the pistol with, because he thrives most in a play-action-heavy scheme, which is what Stefanski employs and what he thrived in at Washington.
The biggest positive about starting Penix is that he's not very mistake-prone, but AR-15 isn't the same. The Florida product threw 12 interceptions in 11 starts in 2024, while Penix doesn't even half half as many picks across his entire career. That recklessness is what gets coaches and GMs fired.
Moreover, Richardson is one of the worst processors at the QB position I've ever seen. If you thought guys like JaMarcus Russell, Zach Wilson, and J.J. McCarthy had no idea how to read a defense, you have another thing coming, as this guy can't even hit on the passes an NFL starter is expected to.
With his cannon of an arm and freakish mobility, some team will take a shot on him trying to reap the rewards of tapping into his potential, but it isn't worth a fourth or fifth-round price tag that Chris Ballard will ask for when Stefanski and Ian Cunningham appear ready to invest their trust in Penix.