CBS Sports Gives Michael Penix Jr. Harsh Ranking on Recent QB List

The Atlanta Falcons have yet to find success with their starting quarterback, and this recent ranking makes that known

Penix's career hasn't gone as well as most of his fellow QBs from his draft class | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the fourth quarterback off the board. At the time, then-head coach Raheem Morris expressed full confidence that Atlanta had secured its franchise signal caller. 

Two seasons later, however, Penix’s resume remains limited. He has started just 12 games, not even a full season's worth of starts, as injuries and inconsistencies have hindered his development. 

On Thursday, NFL analyst Mina Kimes joined First Take to evaluate the loaded 2024 quarterback class. Among the six first-round quarterbacks selected that year, Penix slotted in at No. 5.

The only passer ranked behind him was J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings, notably the only quarterback with fewer NFL starts than Penix. Both quarterbacks from the 2023 CFP National Championship have had it the hardest.

Kimes does not explicitly explain why Penix is below the other four in his class: Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix; however, it is fairly obvious. Everyone in the class, aside from Penix and McCarthy, has not only started at least a full season but also gone on to win at least one playoff game.

Penix’s biggest on-field concern is his accuracy. However, he’s right there with members of his class in that statistic. Penix completed 60.1% of his passes in 2025. This was higher than William’s 58.1% and just below Daniel’s 60.6%. Nix wasn't too far off at 63.3%. The only passer in the class completing above 65% of his passes was Maye at 72.0%.

In terms of passer rating, Penix was once again right there with his peers. He had a higher passer rating (88.5) than both Daniels (88.1) and Nix (87.8). He was right below Williams, who had a 90.1. Maye was again way ahead of the class at 113.5.

Kimes rankings are difficult to dispute. The four quarterbacks ranked above Penix have achieved more in their two seasons in the NFL than he has, up until this point. Penix has been competitive with his class when healthy, but that’s the key: he needs to be able to stay healthy. The issue hasn’t necessarily been performance, but rather staying on the field and stacking games week after week.

The Falcons have also brought in Kevin Stefanski to be the franchise's next head coach heading into the 2026 NFL season, a two-time Coach of the Year with a track record of maximizing quarterback play. If Penix can stay healthy, the new system could provide stability, and the left-handed quarterback could show exactly why he was drafted eighth overall in a stacked class.