​Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. heads into the 2026 season facing a difficult path. He is coming off knee surgery to repair his ACL and is again in a duel for the starting job with veteran Tua Tagovailoa. When Penix was taken No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, many believed he would be the Falcons’ long-term answer at quarterback. Yet two years later, there are few signs that view is materializing, which is why CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles thinks Atlanta chose the wrong direction.
In Pereles’ 2024 NFL re-draft, the Falcons used the No. 8 overall pick on cornerback Quinyon Mitchell to address a much more urgent need at the time. Mitchell ultimately ended up with the Philadelphia Eagles, selected 22nd overall. “The Falcons’ shocking decision to draft Penix just weeks after signing Kirk Cousins in free agency doesn’t look any better in this redraft,” Pereles wrote. “Penix hasn’t been on the field much, suffered another major knee injury last year, and hasn’t been very effective when he has played. Now he’s competing with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job. Instead, the Falcons land an absolute stud in Mitchell, who was an All-Pro last year.”
Mitchell, 24, recently ranked as ESPN’s No. 6 cornerback in the league. “Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opponent’s No. 1 receiver,” said an AFC executive. “Turnover production holds him back from the very top of the group for me, but he’s still an excellent player.” The Eagles cornerback has not recorded an interception in two seasons, but he has posted 29 pass breakups.
Meanwhile, the Falcons did address the cornerback position in this year’s draft, selecting Clemson’s Avieon Terrell in the second round. He joins his brother, A.J. Terrell, who has been the team’s top cornerback in recent years.
Penix, now 26, has endured a total of five knee injuries across his football career dating back to college. The torn left ACL he suffered last November has only intensified questions about why the previous Falcons regime, led by general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris, chose him in 2024. In two seasons, Penix has started 12 games, going 4-8, and has thrown for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. One recurring point of criticism is his accuracy, as his career completion percentage sits at 59.6 percent.
That scrutiny is precisely why Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton suggests Penix could be headed toward bust territory as he battles Tagovailoa for the starting job. “By the start of the preseason, Tagovailoa may be in pole position for the lead role,” Moton wrote. “Even if Penix wins the competition, his spotty 59.6 percent completion rate could ultimately cost him the job.”