The Falcons suffered a setback just two weeks before the season when head coach Raheem Morris confirmed that starting right tackle Kaleb McGary would miss significant time with an injury. McGary, who signed a two-year, $30 million extension earlier this month, was responsible for protecting Michael Penix Jr.’s blind side. To make matters worse, ankle injury has sidelined backup Storm Norton for six to eight weeks. Elijah Wilkinson, normally a guard, has been moved to right tackle, while the rest of the offensive line remains intact. That seems a little off-putting to start with that right? But his O-line on the gridiron’s thinning. Off it? He’s not entertaining trolls at all.

So, the Falcons opted to hold both Penix and Kirk Cousins out of the preseason finale against Dallas. Penix, entering his second season, will head into Week 1 without any preseason snaps. He took over as the starter late last year, completing 58 percent of his passes for 737 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions in three games. Despite a 1-2 record in those starts, he flashed potential with strong performances against Carolina and Washington. But Morris didn’t want the sophomore year QB to suffer any avoidable injury, just in case.

But the preseason loss to the Cowboys brought another moment of attention for Penix. As he walked off the field, a fan shouted a vulgar mispronunciation of his name. Penix stopped, confronted the fan, and asked him to repeat it before correcting him. In a video that went viral, a heckler at AT&T Stadium shouted “Michael Pe**s!” as the QB walked off the field, and Penix didn’t let it slide. He stopped, pointed, and calmly asked, “What ya call me?” before striding away

His mother, Takisha Penix, responded on social media, defending her son and criticizing fans who mocked his name. She wrote that people should “put some respect on the name. People are so immature, it’s sad.” Indeed, it is sad. Given the fact that Penix Jr. had to overcome to reach here. Including multiple surgeries in college. Her message highlighted the pride and support behind her son and HER quarterback as he steps into his first full season as Atlanta’s starter.

By standing up for her son, Takisha tapped into something bigger: the idea that fandom should be fun, not a playground. Michael Penix Jr. battled through multiple ACL tears at Indiana, led Washington with 4,903 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in 2023, and still went 8th overall in the draft with Kirk Cousins on the roster. Now he deserves respect on and off the field.

Michael Penix Jr.’s comparison to the Rams legend

It’s worth understanding why analysts are so high on Michael Penix Jr. In his final two seasons at Washington, Penix threw for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions while guiding the Huskies to the National Championship Game in 2023. That wasn’t a fluke.

So, one can understand why Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated went further, drawing a direct line between Michael Penix Jr.’s skill set and Matthew Stafford. “You can see why Raheem Morris’s Rams-centric staff got Matthew Stafford vibes studying and working out the ex-Washington quarterback before the draft and why those have only gotten stronger since,” Breer wrote. Penix combines deep ball accuracy, a quick release, and the same competitive fire to chase that Stafford-esque ceiling, especially with playmakers around him.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated went so far as to draw a direct line between Michael Penix Jr. and Matthew Stafford. “You can see why Raheem Morris’s Rams-centric staff got Matthew Stafford vibes studying and working out the ex-Washington quarterback before the draft and why those have only gotten stronger since,” Breer wrote. With deep ball accuracy, a quick release, and that Stafford-like fire to compete, Penix is already flashing the ceiling Atlanta hoped for.

Breer doubled down after watching him at Falcons camp. “The level of confidence that I saw in Michael Penix in Atlanta when I was at their camp last week is worth noting. There are a lot of Rams people on that staff… You hear the Matthew Stafford comparisons and the way that he spins the ball and the way that he sees the field. Um, and it’s just everyone there. The way they talk about the kid, the way they talk about his ability again to see it and how fast he sees it.” For a franchise still chasing its next true franchise quarterback, that’s the kind of endorsement that matters.

The Falcons would certainly love for Penix to deliver at that level, especially with a roster stocked around him. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and a strong offensive line give him the support, while rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. were drafted to finally fix Atlanta’s decade-long pass rush problem.  So yeah, his mom’s right: show some respect. Whether you’re in the stadium or on X, remember Michael Penix Jr. has fought injuries, silenced haters, and earned every letter of his name. And if you can’t even pronounce it? You might just end up on another mom tweet storm.