Unless you're living under a rock, you are probably well aware of the Atlanta Falcons' drama at quarterback. After Matt Ryan and Ian Cunningham failed to commit to Michael Penix Jr. as the starter, Ryan quickly set the record straight on his belief in Penix to be Atlanta's newest face of the franchise.
Ryan has been a mentor to the 25-year-old and part of his job as the Falcons' president of football is to help set him up for success. During a interview with Rich Gannon, he cleared things up, revealing that surrounding Penix with a strong coaching staff was one of his major priorities of this offseason.
Matty Ice is a former NFL MVP, so he should know a thing or two about what a young QB needs to succeed. But his words also sent a clear message to those who doubted his sincerity: as long as he responds well from his season-ending ACL tear, he is and always will be the Dirty Birds' franchise QB.
Matt Ryan doubles down on the Atlanta Falcons' belief in Michael Penix Jr.
The four-time Pro Bowler is a franchise legend: of course he wants to see Penix succeed, since that will end all of the question marks the Falcons have at the most important position on the field. He has the talent around him to thrive, the only thing that was holding him back was a horrible coaching staff.
In his discussion of the revamped coaching staff, Matty Ice specifically pointed out his excitement for Penix to work with QB coach Alex Van Pelt, which is mainly due to the experience Van Pelt has. He's worked with Drake Maye, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford, so he has plenty to teach Penix.
The Washington product has all of the talent in the world, but the injury history is a major red flag that Ryan also touched on. While he's been solid when on the field, Penix has made just 12 NFL starts, so while he's expected to be back in time for 2026 Week 1, avoiding major injury will be an uphill battle.
The 2024 first-round pick probably would've been better suited starting from the get go rather than sitting behind Kirk Cousins, but that's another mistake you can chalk up to the unholy trinity of Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and Zac Robinson, but thankfully, hiring Kevin Stefanski is a major upgrade.
There is more experience on the offensive side of the coaching staff as a collective. Between Stefanski, Van Pelt, Tommy Rees, and Tanner Engstrand, the Falcons' offensive coaching staff is looking super stacked. And I'm expecting Ryan's words about Penix to hold true next season.