The Atlanta Falcons might have started the season 0-1, but it wasn’t because of Michael Penix Jr. The former top-10 pick dazzled in Week 1, completing 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards and totaling two touchdowns— one coming through the air and the other on the ground.
Despite being 1-3 as a starter, Penix Jr has been making history for the Dirty Birds. His 1,035 passing yards through his first four NFL starts mark the most by a quarterback in franchise history. He might have a mentor in Matt Ryan, but he’s quickly building a case in hopes of eventually surpassing his predecessor’s Falcons’ legacy.
Falcons fast fact: Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has thrown for 1,035 passing yards through the first four starts of his career, the most by an Atlanta quarterback all-time.
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) September 9, 2025
Even in a small sample size Penix has shown exactly why Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris believed he could be the face of the franchise. He has displayed accuracy, poise, and a cannon that took college football by storm at Washington, and it’s clear Penix’s best days are still ahead.
Michael Penix Jr. is making a case to follow in Matt Ryan’s footsteps
In just four games, Ryan and Michael Vick didn’t even come close to Penix’s early passing totals. Zac Robinson’s air raid scheme perfectly suits the 25-year-old, allowing him to play to his strengths as a timing and rhythm passer with deep-ball accuracy.
Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler, played with elite pass-catchers such as Julio Jones, Roddy White, Calvin Ridley, and Tony Gonzalez—and Penix Jr is still growing with a young, explosive supporting cast headlined by fellow first-rounders Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. And the parallels between the two are only becoming more apparent.
After an injury-riddled four years at Indiana, Penix Jr reinvented his legacy in Seattle. The Tampa native threw for 4,903 yards and 39 touchdowns in his final season with the Huskies en route to leading Washington to the national championship after being named the Heisman Trophy runner-up behind Jayden Daniels.
But the pieces are in place for the Falcons to make noise not just this season, but for years to come. Xavier Watts nearly picked off Baker Mayfield twice and led the team in tackles while James Pearce Jr recorded four pressures—and this was just their NFL debuts.
The Dirty Birds might be amid a seven-year playoff drought, but the foundation is in place for this team to make some real noise with Penix Jr under center. And his teammates love him.
Atlanta may not have the wins to show for it yet, but history says quarterbacks who start like this become franchise cornerstones. Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes II, and Joe Burrow are among the great signal-callers who wasted little time proving they belonged.
Penix Jr might not be Mahomes or Burrow just yet, but in just 240 minutes of NFL action, he has given Falcons fans the most reason to believe since Ryan first put on the red and black.
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