The Atlanta Falcons might only be 3-4, but they're not necessarily thinking about contention just yet. First and foremost, this Atlanta team is trying to figure out whether it has its quarterback of the future. So far, through five starts, third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is passing the test.
After Penix threw for three touchdowns in an upset win over the San Francisco 49ers last week, he seems to be getting more and more fans in the organization. That's a great sign of where he stands.
Take standout safety Jessie Bates III, for example. In a recent interview with the Falcons' team website, the defender shared a ringing endorsement about how Penix makes the rest of his teammates feel on game days. Or, rather, also how he makes them feel before
game days.
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"When No. 9 [Penix] is out there, this team is a completely different football team," Bates said, "and I really truly believe that he is a franchise quarterback."
"You can sleep good at night when you have Michael Penix playing quarterback for you," the veteran safety continued.
Through five starts, Penix has thrown for over 1,100 yards, nine touchdowns, and is averaging nine yards per attempt. All of that is very, very solid. The Falcons are also 3-2 since he came back to the lineup after knee injury issues. If Penix keeps playing like this, it wouldn't be hard to see Atlanta contend for the NFC South division title. It's not hard to see why players like Bates have so much confidence in the quarterback.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Falcons safety shares ringing endorsement of ascending Michael Penix Jr.
