ESPN's Louis Riddick Explains Why He Is Not Sold On Falcons' Michael Penix

The Atlanta Falcons made their intentions to release veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins official on Tuesday. Ian Cunningham’s decision makes Michael Penix Jr. the only player rostered at the position ahead of the 2026 season. With the third-year quarterback still working to come back from an ACL injury he suffered last season, there is a massive void on the roster.

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Even when healthy, Penix showed signs of struggles in the NFL in his first season as a starter. There were flashes of a franchise quarterback, but ESPN’s Louis Riddick is not sold that the young quarterback is a long-term answer for the Falcons.

.@LRiddickESPN isn’t sold on Michael Penix Jr. as the Atlanta Falcons' long-term answer 😬 pic.twitter.com/EGGdkQTVDA
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 24, 2026

“No, personally I don’t,” Riddick said on NFL Live in response to Laura Rutledge asking him if Penix is the guy in Atlanta. “Kevin [Stefanski] is obviously trying to buy himself some time. He’s saying ‘we’ll work through that,’ [and] ‘he’s just trying to get healthy, we’re just going through our process’ and whatever buzz-words you want to use. The fact that of the matter is, though, they don’t have anybody healthy on their roster, under contract, that they could line up right now and play a regular season game with and win a game.

“I understand we’re still in February, and we’re just about to start the new league year, but we’re talking about the most important position on the roster. And we’re talking about the guy coming back that has a long, extensive injury history, and we’re talking about a whole new regime here, and we’re talking about a new guy who’s running the personnel department in Matt Ryan – who is a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback – he’s not going to go into the season with these kind of questions. I think they are going to be in the market for a veteran signal-caller. I think they’re obviously going to look at the draft and see if they can find some value there.”

Riddick is sold on the idea of one interesting veteran quarterback free agent and the fit that he could have in Atlanta, saying, “You’re going to tell me a guy like Malik Willis wouldn’t make sense in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, considering the offense that he’s coming from in Green Bay? And the carryover that it would have in Atlanta? Matt Ryan is going to make a big move here because he knows how important the position is.”

Penix was 3-6 in his first year as a starter, completing 60.1% of his passes for 220.2 yards per game, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. The injury concerns are real, but so is the arm talent that got him here, and the new regime has been complimentary of that.

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During Super Bowl week, Ryan discussed how the team is working to put coaches in place around Penix to help him succeed, while also confirming his belief in the young quarterback. Additionally, Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have both raved about the physical tools that Penix brings to the table.

But with a new regime in place, it is fair to conclude that there may not be the same loyalty to Penix as there was with the previous one, and that anything could be on the table.