How the Atlanta Falcons quarterback situation benefits Michael Penix Jr.

At first glance, the Atlanta Falcons have put rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in a bad situation. Bringing in a player who would have had a chance to start for another franchise to face questions about his role and Kirk Cousins is less than ideal.

While this is true it also ignores the fact that Penix Jr. was drafted onto a team where he isn't expected to be the savior. Players that went off the board after Penix in Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy are facing far more pressure with the Broncos and Vikings.

Penix Jr. is going to have the benefit of sitting back and adjusting to the league not expected to step in and be a productive starter in day one. This is ideal for his development and gives Atlanta their best chance at turning him into a franchise quarterback. It is easy to forget for a fanbase spoiled to Matt Ryan for every Ryan or C.J. Stroud there are five guys that need time to figure it out and adjust.

Whether they are given that time and built around or cast off entirely depends on the quality of the front office, coaching staff, and weapons. Jordan Love and Patrick Mahomes are players often pointed to as guys who benefitted from sitting for a time. Another name that isn't talked about enough is Josh Allen. The quarterback who is no considered one of the top five at his position started out extremely rough and needed time to adjust to the league.

Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence are both examples as well of players who faced early struggles before figuring it out. The point here being even the league's top prospects at the position often need a handful of games or a capable veteran in front of them to adjust.

For every story that works out, there is a Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, or Drew Lock. Players that had the needed talent but were put into bad situations expected to be a day one fix and the mistakes quickly piled up and forced their teams to move on.

The quarterback position remains a mystery to the majority of franchises in this league. Having the ability to bring in a potential franchise star and have him sit back and learn is incredibly valuable. Whether or not it is the right move is a completely different debate.

With the move in the rearview, it is more than fair to point out the obvious benefit for Penix. The rookie is going to come in and be able to sit and learn from an established starter while building chemistry with his young teammates who help him adjust to the next level.

For Atlanta, the logic is clear and the situation couldn't be better for Penix Jr. A quarterback who has the talent to be the starter but now has the luxury of time with a team that is going to continue to be building around him f