On Thursday, April 25, 2024, Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot shocked the NFL world by drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of the University of Washington at eighth overall in the first round.
This left everyone wondering what the Falcons front office was thinking. This move comes after the Falcons signed NFL veteran Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed just a month prior.
Atlanta Falcons Shock The NFL
Atlanta has been in quarterback purgatory since Matt Ryan left after the 2021 season. This could be Terry Fontenot trying to find an option to win now and build toward the future with a young quarterback.
Some insurance at the most important position on the team is always a good idea especially with Cousins coming off a season-ending injury the year prior. Still, typically you want your first-round pick to make an immediate impact on your team, especially with a top-10 pick and Penix Jr. isn’t without an injury history of his own.
An Extensive Injury History At Indiana
Michael Penix Jr. is no stranger to being on the injured list. Before he led the Huskies to the college football national championship game in 2023, he played for the Indiana University Hoosiers. During his four years at Indiana, he had four season-ending injuries.
In 2018 as a true freshman, he played in the first three games of the season before tearing his ACL, resulting in him being red-shirted for the season saving some eligibility. In 2019 he was named the starter for the Hoosiers but he played in only six games due to an injury to his right shoulder which is his non-throwing shoulder, an important piece of information at the quarterback position.
Penix Healthy After Arriving in Washington
In the COVID shortened 2020, he suffered another torn ACL and in 2021, he separated the AC joint in his left shoulder which is his throwing shoulder. After the 2021 season, Penix transferred to the University of Washington after playing in only 20 games for Indiana in four seasons.
The injury bug seemingly didn’t follow Penix to Washington as he started 13 games in the 2022 season, winning the AP Comeback Player of the Year award and in 2023 leading the Huskies to the national championship game against Michigan, while coming in second place in voting got the Heisman Trophy.
Impact on Dynasty Leagues
Michael Penix Jr. is older than most players coming into the NFL at 24 years of age, due to playing six seasons of college ball. It’s hard to say with any level of certainty exactly what kind of impact Penix will have when he finally gets to play. This is considering most of the top fantasy options at quarterback are people who can use their legs.
This gets you points with rushing yards and that is not part of Penix’s game thus far, as he only had 265 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground his entire college career. Penix signed a 4-year deal with the Falcons worth $22.88 million but doesn’t have a clear path to play if Cousins stays healthy.
Final Thoughts
The best path to playing time for Penix is if the Falcons choose to cut Cousins loose after the 2026 season. This would be after they’ve paid his $100 million guaranteed and would only have a $12.5 million dead cap hit. Even then, he would be 26 years old but we are seeing veterans like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady playing well into their late 30s and early 40s in some cases.
If your league has a taxi squad or a deep bench, Penix is worth stashing if you can get him without overpaying. If you have Penix but not Cousins, then it might be worth reaching out to the person who does have Captain Kirk. This is to see if he has any interest in acquiring Penix as insurance if Cousins gets injured again.
If there’s no interest in a trade then he is worth hanging onto if you can sacrifice the bench spot for a few seasons to have the Falcons starting quarterback for what the Falcons hope is a decade-plus whenever Penix finally debuts.
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