For weeks, Falcons fans have tried to thread the needle between patience and panic. Then came Week 10 in Berlin, a fourth straight loss, and one tweet from Shannon Sharpe that finally stripped away whatever was left of the polite version of the conversation.
Falcons gotta get better play outta Pennix Jr. 12-28 less than 180yds passing? Yes, Mooney dropped a pass in OT, but lets keep it a buck. He’s not been good enough this yr. #NFLSUNDAYFOOTBALL #FalconsColts #Berlin
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) November 9, 2025
When you draft a quarterback eighth overall, you expect him to stabilize the franchise. Nine games in, the only thing stable is the inconsistency itself. But the thing is, the Falcons’ issues with Penix have less to do with him and far more to do with the environment they’ve built around him.
Anyone can look at 12-of-28 for 177 yards and say a quarterback struggled. What’s harder (and more important) is understanding why the same problems keep repeating.
Shannon Sharpe admits Michael Penix Jr. is going backwards in his development
What showed up on tape in Berlin was a familiar pattern: routes breaking late, spacing issues, designed concepts capped at the sticks, and the same rapid-collapsing structure that forces Penix to win with perfectly timed anticipation throws.
Sure that’s one of his biggest strengths, but no quarterback survives on anticipation alone. Week 9 looked like a breakthrough because the game plan finally matched his rhythm. Week 10 snapped back to the disjointed version of this offense that asks the 25-year-old to practically be Superman.
Even deeper, not getting Penix another receiver at the trade deadline is already looking like a massive mistake. Eight targets turning into one catch for Darnell Mooney is a serious issue. And this receiving core can’t rely on Drake London to carry them week after week.
The Falcons didn’t just pass on adding a receiver. They passed on reshaping the spacing rules that would have made their young quarterback’s job meaningfully easier. It’s extremely difficult to develop a timing quarterback without giving him receivers who win on time.
I could go on and on about the poor play-calling, the offense line that’s beat up, but the point is Penix is not the problem. He shoulders most of the blame simply because he is the quarterback.
Now Penix is by no means blameless, but the real question for the Falcons isn’t “Can he play better?” It’s “Has this organization constructed a pathway that allows him to?”
Right now, the answer leans toward no. But with the Panthers, Saints, and Jets coming up, the Falcons have a real chance to reset the narrative, rebuild Penix’s momentum, and finally prove they can develop the second-year quarterback they invested everything in.