How the Atlanta Falcons quarterback situation benefits Michael Penix Jr.

From the looks of it, the Atlanta Falcons have put rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in a bad situation. Bringing in a player who would have had the chance to start in another franchise to face questions about his role and Kirk Cousins ​​is far from ideal.

While this is true, it also ignores the fact that Penix Jr. was brought to a team where he wasn’t expected to be the savior. The players who came off the board after Penix in Bo Nix and JJ McCarthy are facing a lot more pressure with the Broncos and Vikings.

Penix Jr. will have the benefit of sitting back and adjusting to the league that isn’t expected to step in and be a productive starter from day one. This is great for his development and gives Atlanta their best chance to make him a franchise quarterback. It’s easy to forget for a fan base spoiled by Matt Ryan, for every Ryan or CJ Stroud, there are five guys who need time to figure out and adjust.

Whether they are given that time and built or abandoned depends entirely on the quality of the front office, coaching staff and weapons. Jordan Love and Patrick Mahomes are players often referred to as guys who benefited from sitting out for a while. Another name that doesn’t get talked about enough is Josh Allen. The quarterback who is not considered one of the top five at his position got off to an extremely rough start and needed time to adjust to the league.

Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence are also both examples of players who struggled early on before realizing it. The fact is, even the league’s top prospects at the position often need a handful of games or a competent veteran in front of them to adjust.

For every story that works, there’s a Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, or Drew Lock. Players who had the necessary talent but found themselves in bad situations expected them to be fixed from day one and mistakes quickly piled up and forced their teams to move on.

The quarterback position remains a mystery for the majority of franchises in this league. Having the opportunity to bring in a potential franchise star and allow him to learn is incredibly valuable. Whether this is the right decision or not is a completely different debate.

In hindsight, it is more than fair to point out the obvious advantage 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 younger teammates that helps him adapt 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 a starter but who now has the luxury of spending time with a team that will continue to build around him .