Penix ‘where he should be’ in recovery, but Falcons won’t hand him starting job
INDIANAPOLIS — While Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham and his expansive group of assistants were in the midst of a meeting less than one week before the NFL scouting combine, the team’s draft room welcomed a visitor.
Michael Penix Jr., at Cunningham’s request, stopped by to say hello. Their conversation was brief, but long enough for Cunningham to get his point across to the Falcons’ quarterback.
“I told him, ‘Hey, we’re in here trying to find you guys some more teammates,’” Cunningham said Tuesday in a scrum with local reporters in Indianapolis.
That includes additional members to the Falcons’ quarterback group, which currently contains only Penix. The team will release quarterback Kirk Cousins on March 11, the start of the new NFL business year, and backups Easton Stick and Emory Jones are set to be free agents.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski has emphasized building an early relationship with Penix, the team’s projected starter next season. But he’s staying away from any such labels with Week 1 over six months away.
“I’m not big on giving out positions in February,” Stefanski said Tuesday afternoon. “I think you guys know how I feel about Michael, and I’m excited about his trajectory. I also know he’s focused on his rehab, which is the right thing to do.”
Penix is three months removed from ACL reconstruction surgery after suffering a season-ending knee injury Nov. 16 against the Panthers. The Falcons’ biggest concern, Stefanski said, is about Penix’s health and ensuring he’s as healthy as possible entering OTAs.
The Falcons publicly have expressed confidence in Penix’s surgery and rehabilitation, and Cunningham offered another positive update Tuesday.
“He’s where he should be, right?” Cunningham said. “I feel like he’s doing a really good job. He’s coming in every single day. He’s doing what he needs to do, and we’re confident that he’s on track.”
Draft-room rendezvous aside, Cunningham acknowledged he hasn’t had much of a chance to get to know Penix off the field.
Cunningham was the Bears’ assistant general manager when the team selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, when Penix was in the draft pool, and the Bears primarily were focused on Williams throughout the predraft process. Thus, Cunningham said Tuesday on 92.9 The Game he did only “light work” during the cycle on Penix, who ultimately went No. 8 overall to the Falcons.
Stefanski, however, said he’s had a lot of conversations with Penix since being hired Jan. 17 — with a caveat.
“None of it about football. Don’t worry, Roger,” Stefanski said with a chuckle, referencing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “All of it’s just checking in on him, the person, and he’s in, if not every day, a lot. And so, I get to see him and he’s doing an awesome job of rehabbing.”
Penix completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions across nine starts last season. The Falcons went 3-6 in Penix’s starts, including losses in each of his final four games.
Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have touted Penix’s arm strength and accuracy. He’s delivered “some really, really, really good moments” as a professional, Stefanski said, and will get only better as he develops.
The 25-year-old Penix has no shortage of mentors.
Stefanski spent two years with the Minnesota Vikings as a quarterbacks coach and four others as an assistant. Rees played quarterback at Notre Dame. Falcons president of football Matt Ryan spent 15 seasons under center in the NFL. The Falcons hired quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt and assistant Jordan Reid as two central pieces to Penix’s growth.
The challenge, Stefanski said, is blending several voices into one singular language. The Falcons’ staff has to be intentional about who has Penix’s ear, which Stefanski said will belong to a combination of coaches.
“Everybody’s speaking the same language,” Stefanski said. “When I say that, that’s part of the benefit of having Tommy Rees, having Alex Van Pelt. These are guys I’ve coached with, guys that I believe what they believe. We’re all speaking the same language.”
The Falcons will add quarterbacks this offseason, be it a developmental player through the draft or a veteran presence in free agency. Stefanski said he’ll discuss with Ryan, Cunningham, the personnel department and the coaching staff to dissect all available options.
Yet with only Penix under contract, Stefanski said he feels “really strongly” about where the Falcons stand at quarterback — but he’ll refrain from declaring Penix the team’s starter until the season inches closer.
“Well, it’s today’s date, February. So, we don’t play for a little while,” Stefanski said. “I think with any roster type of decisions, roster as you look at it in February, it’s so different a month from now, two months from now, three months from now. So, we’ll work through all those things.
“Mike is working very hard and attacking his rehab, which is the most important thing he can do right now. But we’ll work through all those things.”
