Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta Falcons·#9·6'3"·220 lb·2nd year·WashingtonMichael Penix Jr. has 1,282 passing yards, 9 touchdown passes, 5 interceptions and 15 rushing yards in 6 games for the Atlanta Falcons this season through Week 8, 13.1 PPR points a game (updated November 5, 2026).
Model Score by season
Down 1.5 from last season.
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
STM Take
A developing lefty starter whose college case outruns his pro numbers.
The case for
- Won the Maxwell Award, led the NCAA in passing yards, and finished second in the Heisman in 2023; the college ceiling is real.
- Left-handed quarterback (one of three in the NFL) gives defenses a non-standard look they have to scheme for.
The worry
- 59.6 percent completion percentage on 381 NFL attempts is below every other top-30 ranked QB at the same age.
- Two college ACL tears already on the injury card; durability is the lingering question even before the NFL workload accumulates.
What to watch: Whether year three produces a tier-5-or-better finish; the Falcons committed a top-10 pick on the bet that he is the QB1.
Full take and bio
Penix finished STTM #32 tier 8 in 2025 across 9 games as Atlanta moved him into the starting role behind Kirk Cousins. Career sample is still 381 NFL attempts on a 59.6 percent completion rate, which is the floor profile of a developmental year-two starter. The college resume (Maxwell, Heisman runner-up, title game) is the case; the NFL data does not yet validate it.
Penix was born in Cookeville, Tennessee and raised in Dade City, Florida, attending Tampa Bay Tech. He spent four injury-shortened years at Indiana (two ACL tears) before transferring to Washington, where he won the 2023 Maxwell Award, led the NCAA in passing yards, finished second in the Heisman, and reached the 2024 CFP National Championship Game. Atlanta took him eighth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he is one of only three left-handed quarterbacks currently in the NFL.
Comps
The players whose size, testing and production looked most like his at the same point in their careers. The percent is how close.
Plays like: Matt Schaub, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers. Built like: Skylar Thompson, Ronald Curry, Mac Jones. Coming out: Will Grier, Matt Barkley, Brandon Weeden.
Of his 20 closest coming out: 3 stars, 2 starters, 10 backups, 5 didn't stick.
Michael Penix Jr. Props This Weekvs CIN Sun Nov 8
| Market | Line | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 221.5 | -113 DraftKings | -111 DraftKings |
| Passing TDs | 1.5 | +105 Bovada | -122 FanDuel |
| Completions | 19.5 | -120 DraftKings | -105 BetMGM |
| Pass attempts | 31.5 | -116 BetOnline | -109 DraftKings |
| Interceptions | 0.5 | +115 BetRivers | -112 DraftKings |
| Anytime TD | +1000 BetMGM |
Best price across 8 books as of Thu Nov 5. Lines move; check the book before you bet. This week's board · Line Room
Play Michael's numbers on Underdog · partner link
Michael Penix Jr. Injury StatusNot listed
Michael Penix Jr. is not on the injury report as of Nov 5. Source: the official NFL injury report, refreshed daily.
This season · 6 games
13.1 fantasy points a game, 79 PPR on the season. Every game on the Game Log, every season on Career. Advanced numbers are EPA and Next Gen Stats.
Contract2026 cap
Every year of the deal, the dead money and what a cut or trade saves on the Contract tab.
Fantasy outlookWeek 9
Our rest-of-season board has Michael Penix Jr. at QB22 (the public consensus says QB16); the model has 65 PPR points left for him this season; this week he hosts CIN.
Price a trade for him on the fantasy trade calculator, or see the whole board on the Fantasy hub.
Draft & College
Round 1, pick 8 to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, out of Washington (Pac-12). He went well ahead of consensus.
In college, 2019-2023, 45 games: 13,270 pass yds, 100 TD, 22 INT, 62.0% completions.
Recruited
Class of 2018 · Quarterback · High school: Tampa Bay Tech, Tampa, FL
His full list of offers is not on our record yet; offers for the 2018 class are still being added.