Atlanta’s no stranger to drama. This franchise has lived through its share of rebuilds, restarts, and “maybe next year.” But 2025 feels different. And right at the thick of it? Michael Penix Jr., who’s only 25 years old, but with everything about him screaming ‘vet!’. And if you hear him talk? You’d think this man runs the locker room.

In a conversation with college football coach Michael Vick, he just put the entire receiver corps on high alert with a six-word message. A message that said, ‘It’s not me who has to prove myself to you, it’s you who has to prove yourself to me.’

It happened during a sit-down with Vick. When asked, “Who’s gonna lead the team in receptions this year?” Penix didn’t flinch. “I don’t know, I don’t got no favorite. Who ever gets open the most.” That’s it. No fluff. The receivers corps would have to prove themselves to Penix in every snap.

No, this isn’t just a media-trained rookie saying practised words. He’s setting a tone. He’s telling everyone: nobody’s getting anything handed to them. You want the ball? Get open. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned vet or a rookie. He’s throwing to the guy who earns it.

And yeah, Drake London balled out last season with over 1,200 yards and 9 touchdowns, but even he’s got to prove it all over again. But beyond his? Let’s just say…the air starts to get a little thinner. Let’s talk about that WR room for a minute. Who’s pencilled in behind London? Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III, most likely. And yes, Jamal Agnew might technically be in the mix, but mostly as a return guy.

He didn’t stop after issuing that challenge to the receivers, either. The man talks like he’s been around here for a decade. Vick asked if being a lefty made things trickier, and Penix didn’t budge. He laughed and said, “He be trying to hold me back,” teasing his offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson. Then he got real: “They always wanna roll me out left. I’m like, nah, let’s roll right. I throw better that way anyway.”

The kid knows what he is and what he brings. And he gave us a little glimpse of that last season. He saw action in five games (three starts), finishing with 775 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 picks. But to him, the real value came from the sidelines. Learning behind a vet like Kirk Cousins gave him what he calls “crucial mental reps” and now? He is finally ready to take on the NFL as QB1 with Kirk Cousins right beside him.

Penix’s rise came with a sacrifice

Penix’s first season in the pros wasn’t smooth sailing. If you recall, the Falcons made headlines when they signed Kirk Cousins to a big-money deal, then turned around and drafted Penix at No. 8 just weeks later. Cousins even admitted on Quarterback that he felt “a little bit misled.” And honestly, who could blame him? He started the season, went 7–7, but the writing was on the wall. And then? Benched. And suddenly it was Penix’s show.

And it became official a few weeks ago. Penix is officially the QB1. And just like that, the QB room at Atlanta looks entirely different. Kirk Cousins, once the face of the franchise’s rebuild, now finds himself in a backup role. And that adds a bit of pressure on Penix, too. Because when you have a backup QB with a resume like Kirk’s? The margin for error becomes thin. Needle-like thin.

But more than pressure? It adds growth. Yes, growth. Starting every matchday and learning from Cousins in every training? That’s every QB’s dream. And the relationship between Kirk and Penix? Impeccable. “From day I got in, I always told him I had his back if he ever needed me, and he’s been the same for me ever since. He called me ‘I just want you to know I’m here in your corner. No bad blood between us.’ We were open with each other about our feelings about the whole situation,” Penix said.

So, yes, with Kirk behind him in a mentorship role? Penix’s room for growth astronomically increases. The good heavily outweighs the bad here. But again, there’s only so much he can do with this WR room. Because the Falcons went all in on the defence this offseason. But the WR room? Pretty much untouched. That’s telling. It means the front office is betting on the current group to step up and click with Penix, not looking for a quick fix.

One thing is clear: they need to click early on. They need that momentum if they want to make it to January. Not to add any more pressure on the kid, but Penix will be at the heart of Atlanta’s season. Sports Illustrated’s Moe Moton even called Penix the biggest X-factor in the NFC South for 2025. Rightly so.