What’s the future of ex-UW Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta?

Former UW Huskies star Michael Penix Jr. was the talk of the first day of the 2024 NFL Draft for all the wrong reasons.

The midseason bowl projections for WSU Cougars and UW Huskies

Penix was part of a group of six highly sought-after quarterbacks and unsurprisingly was taken in the top 10 picks. However, it was his destination that left many wondering why the Heisman Trophy runner-up was selected when he was.

Penix went N0. 8 overall to Atlanta just over a month after the Falcons signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed.

With Cousins in line to be the starter and a desperate need for defensive playmakers, especially pass rushers, many draft analysts were shocked by the pick. And some harsh critiques were doled out for the Penix pick.

Falcons radio play-by-play voice Wes Durham gave his insight on the situation when he joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob earlier this week to preview the Seahawks’ matchup against Atlanta on Sunday.

“I think the plan ultimately is that Penix will be the quarterback in Atlanta, but what the timetable on that is, your guess is as good as mine,” Durham said. “Kirk Cousins has come here on $100 million guaranteed. He’s 36 years of age, he’s thrown for 41,000 yards in his career and over 275 touchdowns. But now the question becomes, with quarterbacks, what’s the cycle? You don’t want to stay (with one) a year too long, because it could get ugly pretty quick.”

The Falcons’ decision to sign Cousins and draft Penix in the same offseason came after two futile years of quarterback play.

In 2022, Atlanta was 31st in the league in passing yards and had just 17 touchdown passes with journeyman Marcus Mariota (13 starts) and rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder (four starts) behind center. Ridder took over as the starter last season and had as many touchdowns passes (12) as interceptions in his 15 starts, and the Falcons ranked 22nd in the league in passing yards.

“If you go back to the draft night press conference after they took Penix, Terry Fontenot, the general manager, and (head coach) Raheem Morris – without saying they wanted insurance – they said they wanted insurance,” Durham said. “And all you had to do was go through the last two years here with Marcus Mariota and then Desmond Ridder to know that Atlanta not only needed Kirk Cousins, but they also needed somebody to back him up.

“We were blessed around here to have Matt Ryan for 14 years, who was as good as it got in the league. And aggregate over 14 years, he was a top-10 quarterback. Then you go through two years where you’re bottom five or (just) out of the bottom five. So I think that was the plan all along.”

Cousins’ yearly salary is fully guaranteed through the 2025 season, which would put him in line to remain the starter through at least next season barring injury. So the Falcons didn’t necessarily need to jump on a quarterback of the future in 2024, but Durham said they had their reasoning.

“In this coming draft – and I’m not saying this to make Oregon fans nuts who might be listening in Seattle – but this is not a great quarterback draft coming, and the one after that is also suspect from a scouting standpoint,” Durham said. “So I think that’s why they pulled the trigger on Penix now, and I think Michael is OK with it. I mean, sure, would he like to play like (New England’s Drake) Maye is doing and (Chicago’s) Caleb Williams and (Washington’s) Jayden Daniels? I’m sure he would, but the reality of it is I think he realizes that he’ll get his opportunity and he can learn a lot from the guy who’s starting for Atlanta right now.”

Penix makes the connection downfield!

📱: Stream #ATLvsMIA on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/fJcfCmUO2x

— NFL (@NFL) August 9, 2024

If Penix does have to wait it out a few years in Atlanta before becoming the starter, he’ll be one of the few quarterbacks in recent history who have gone in the first round and had ample time to sit and learn behind a proven starter. That list, however, includes some pretty good names like Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love and Carson Palmer.

“I think he’s a talent. … When the ball comes out of his hand, it comes out of his hand a little different than it does most cats,” Durham said. “So I think he’s going to get a legitimate shot here. I just don’t know that the timetable has been defined by anybody, and I think that’s an important aspect.

“Right now in sports, sometimes we have a hard time understanding the patience it takes to do things. I think really what this is for Michael Penix is a test of patience for the next couple of years or so.”

Listen to the full conversation with Atlanta Falcons radio play-by-play voice Wes Durham at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-6 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More UW Huskies coverage

•  Huard: What the UW Huskies’ blowout loss revealed
• UW Huskies Notebook: Where Dawgs stand after loss to Iowa
• Rookie Check-In: How UW Huskies, WSU Cougars alums are doing in NFL
• Instant observations from UW Huskies’ mistake-filled loss to Iowa
• Huard: How UW Huskies DC Steve Belichick is excelling

Related

Lefko: Seahawks’ top extension priority shouldn’t be WitherspoonFormer GM explains his ‘bad’ Mariners trade ideaMorosi: Mariners a team that ‘needed’ All-Star breakWhy Morosi says Mariners have a leg up on last year’s teamMorosi: Where Mariners can look for help at trade deadlineAs Rams get the attention, Seahawks can’t forget about 49ers