Every single week, the Atlanta Falcons are evaluating Michael Penix Jr. to figure out whether or not he can truly be their franchise quarterback. He's eligible for a new contract extension this offseason, but they have another decision looming about whether or not they should pick up his fifth-year option.
There have been high highs and low lows for Penix this season, as he was lights-out at first, but he also threw four picks in Week 8. And while Week 9 was an up-and-down affair in Madrid, the 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals confirmed that they aren't going to be winning games with his arm.
The former top-10 pick completed just 20 of 31 pass attempts for 162 yards, a passing touchdown, and a brutal fourth-quarter interception. But the good news is that while he averaged just 5.2 yards per completion through the air, Penix was able to do some damage as a rusher for a change.
Michael Penix Jr. showing off the wheels
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He carried the football three times for a career-high 50 rushing yards, including a nice 23-yard run on Atlanta's second possession of the game. For reference, his previous career high was 21 rushing yards, so not only did he more than double that old career best, he surpassed it in the first quarter.
Michael Penix Jr. relied on his mobility for a change against the Bengals
When you think about Michael Penix Jr,. you likely think about the arm talent and the things he can do as a passer, and that's plenty valid. But we saw during his time at Washington that he can move, but because of his injury history, we really haven't seen much of that from him since reaching the NFL.
This isn't to say he's the next Lamar Jackson or anything, because that would be false, but this is an encouraging sign for a Falcons team that is evaluating every little detail about his future--especially considering this isn't something we haven't really seen before and we are aware of his limitations.
The 26-year-old still has his issues against pressure, and those didn't go anywhere in the loss to the Bengals. According to ESPN research, he completed just one of nine passes for -3 yards and an interception when pressured in Week 9, while his 18% completion rate under pressure is the worst by a qualified quarterback since ESPN began tracking pressures in 2009.
You know what helps a quarterback who struggles to handle pressure? Mobility. That's what makes Josh Allen and Caleb Williams some of the best improvisers in the league. They're able to make plays out of structure, but when nothing's there, they have the foresight to take off and run to pick up yards.
This is particularly encouraging because the Dirty Birds are trying to evaluate his health off of another ACL tear, and he was moving pretty well. And given Brian Robinson Jr. is on IR, having him scramble will take pressure off of Bijan Robinson, which should help this run game continue their success. That doesn't just make things easier on the RB room, but on the offensive line as well.
This isn't to say he's a guaranteed to be franchise quarterback because of his mobility, but in all likelihood, Michael Penix Jr. will be back in 2027 and the Falcons may try to lean into this more often going forward.
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