Michael Penix’s second season with the Atlanta Falcons didn’t go as planned.
The 25-year-old quarterback suffered a devastating ACL injury against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, prematurely ending his campaign in late November. Penix finished the year with 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 60.1% completion percentage in nine contests.
With Penix being injury-prone going back to college (he tore his ACL twice), the Falcons would be wise to consider signing an experienced signal caller who could be serviceable if Penix fails to complete the 2026-27 season. CBS Sports’ John Breech has a hunch that Atlanta could set its sights on landing a 41-year-old former Super Bowl MVP.
“Joe Flacco to the Falcons (prediction),” Breech wrote Monday. “In this scenario, Joe Flacco would reconnect with Kevin Stefanski, who took the Falcons' job this offseason after getting fired by the (Cleveland) Browns.”
“Michael Penix Jr. is coming off yet another ACL tear, and between that and his uneven showings when he has played, he might be penciled in as the 2026 starter, but it's not written in ink yet.”
Despite having no choice but to be a statue in the pocket and not being as sharp as he was earlier in his career, Flacco can still provide a spark for an NFL franchise when needed.
After all, the former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion did help the Browns reach the playoffs in the 2023-24 season despite being on the couch for most of the year (Cleveland signed Flacco in late November, and he guided the franchise to a 4-1 record down the stretch of the regular season).
All things considered, Flacco was solid with the Cincinnati Bengals and Browns last season, recording 2,479 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 60.3% completion percentage.
The Falcons could consider Flacco a viable free-agent option at quarterback.
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