Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is officially member of a the Atlanta Falcons after the franchise handed out his rookie contract. The thing is, the contract itself has drawn a host of mixed reactions from fans on social media.
Penix had a promising but injury-plagued college career at Indiana University, suffering multiple ACL tears that limited his playing time. In 2018, he appeared in just 3 games before redshirting due to a torn ACL. He returned as the starting QB in 2019 and 2020, showcasing his talent when healthy, but missed significant time with further knee injuries.
The quarterback transferred to the University of Washington in 2021, where he emerged as a star. He led the FBS in passing yards per game in 2022, setting the UW single-season passing record. In his senior year, Penix had an outstanding campaign, guiding the Huskies to an undefeated regular season, a CFP semifinal victory, and an appearance in the national championship game, which they narrowly lost.
His exceptional 2023 season earned him the Maxwell Award and a runner-up finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was subsequently selected 8th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 NFL Draft, despite the team having just signed star quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Atlanta Falcons Michael Penix Jr.’s Rookie Contract Garners Mixed Reactions
Just recently, Jordan Schultz came out on X with the news that the Falcons have signed Penix Jr. to a four-year deal worth $22.88 million. This led fans to air their thoughts, both good and bad about this latest development.
Sources: The #Falcons and rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. have agreed to terms on his rookie contract. The No. 8 overall pick gets a 4-year deal worth $22.88M. His signing bonus is $13.46M. pic.twitter.com/ZPfAHdF4ve
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 21, 2024
“Kirk Cousins is shaking rn,” TheGleef tweeted.
“My man got paaaaidddd 😮💨,” MuchoRusso said.
“W job bro getting paid just to sit down,” Joey223 reacted.
“That’s a nice slice of bread for a current backup. He gets paid and gets to learn behind Kirk and get coached up by Morris. That’s a win win win in my book,” Jerry Harry posted.
“Steal of the draft,” DW shared.
“Free money to sit for a few years, nice,” Dizz_215 tweeted.
“allat to be a backup for AT LEAST 2 years,” average sports fan said
“Lets go Mike. Go Dawgs,” Adam reacted.
Penix was selected within the top 10 by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, his path to the starting role is uncertain, as the Falcons had recently signed veteran QB Cousins to a lucrative four-year, $180 million contract.
It remains to be seen what role Penix will have when the new season starts. In any case, a lot of eyes will be on the Falcons to see if they can compete with the roster they are building right now.
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