Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta Falcons·#9Season Stats · 9 games
Advanced Metrics EPA & Next Gen Stats
STM Take
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.
Strengths
- 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.
Concerns
- 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.
Fantasy Outlook
Michael Penix Jr. scored 122 PPR points, 13.6 per game this season. Compare him against any QB and track weekly rankings in our fantasy tools.