Bold Michael Penix Week 1 Prediction from Ex-NFL Exec

The Atlanta Falcons faced steep criticism in the immediate aftermath of selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in April’s draft.

Much of the discourse wasn’t about Penix’s skill set but his short- and long-term role in Atlanta, which gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract with $90 million guaranteed in the first two seasons just a month and a half prior.

The Falcons have defended the pick by stating it’s about ensuring stability in their long-term future under center. Others believe a top-10 pick needs to produce instantly.

NFL Network analyst and former New York Giants executive Marc Ross believes Penix has a chance to check both boxes — sparked by concerns over the health of Cousins’ Achilles, which was surgically repaired Nov. 1.

“Is that Achilles going to be quite 100% for Kirk Cousins? I don’t know,” Ross said on NFL Network. “Little iffy there, might have a setback. So, here comes Michael Penix, who’s going to be slinging it all around in training camp and preseason games.

“He’s going to be the opening day starter down there in the dome.”

Ross’s statement came during a segment of post-draft hot takes; he said he believes all six rookie quarterbacks — including Penix — start in Week 1.

The Falcons have previously denied any ideas surrounding Penix’s pick being linked to Cousins’s injury, with general manager Terry Fontenot saying he’s excited and confident about where the 35-year-old stands.

First-year head coach Raheem Morris was more direct in his assessment.

“It has nothing to do with the injury,” Morris said April 25. “At some point, you’ve got to find a way to have that succession plan in place. It just so happened it posed itself. And with the guy we have and the guy that we got and the guy that we think is coming back, we don't want to be in this position again to pick that guy again.”

Atlanta’s been similarly straightforward in its assurances that Cousins will be the team’s starter, and video surfaced Thursday of the four-time Pro Bowler throwing passes on the Falcons’ practice field in Flowery Branch.

And so, while Ross believes Penix has a chance at starting under center Week 1, all other indications say otherwise.