Falcons' Arthur Blank Says Michael Penix Jr. Has 'All the Qualities' of a Franchise QB

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is hoping he landed his next franchise quarterback in Michael Penix Jr.

"I think it's important to remember he only has three games as a professional quarterback, as an NFL quarterback," Blank said during Saturday's press conference. "I think he's smart as heck, he's a really good leader, he works hard.

"He has all the qualities you want to see, I think, in a franchise quarterback. If we get a duplicate run out of him that we got out of Matt Ryan, we would be incredibly happy... We're excited about Michael Penix, and the team is."

Star running back Bijan Robinson added that the team's chemistry alongside Penix is "coming together" amid a full offseason of work with the Washington product under center:

Penix, who made three starts at the end of the 2024 season after the Falcons decided to bench veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins, is heading into 2025 as the franchise's projected Week 1 starter.

Blank cited Penix's rise as one reason he feels more confident about the Falcons this summer after what he described as a "difficult seven years" for both himself and the team's fans.

"I like where we are... I feel strongly that we're in a different place than we've been the last few years," Blank said.

Blank continued, "The emphasis on getting the right quarterback here— hopefully this young man is the man that we're looking for— and we know we have the coaching staff, and we know we have the personnel department. I think we have the ingredients to be consistently competitive."

Penix, who told reporters in May that he has been working on building relationships to take on a larger leadership role ahead of his second NFL campaign, has expressed even more optimism about the Falcons' outlook.

Earlier this week Penix credited his ability to get "full-speed reps" with the first-string offense during training camp as part of the reason he believes Atlanta can deploy the "best" offense in the NFL next season.

Since Ryan played his final snap for the Falcons during the 2021 season, the Falcons have undergone yearly quarterback turnover while struggling behind starters including Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Cousins. Blank will hope that cycle will end this fall with Penix securing his position as the franchise's long-term starter.

Penix will look to continue building on his connections with Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London as Falcons training camp runs through Aug. 13 in Flowery Branch. The team is set to open preseason action with an Aug. 8 contest against the visiting Detroit Lions.