SI's Albert Breer praises Falcons for handling of quarterback situation

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer was one of many in opposition of the Atlanta Falcons and their decision to draft rookie Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in the 2024 NFL draft. However, after seeing the New England Patriots and their handling of their rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, Breer praises the Falcons for their ability to keep the narrative of Kirk vs. Penix at a minimum in his latest training camp roundup .

Both teams very clearly went into training camp with plans to sit their top-10 picks at the position. In Atlanta, there hasn’t even been a question. In New England, the discussion carried into Sunday night’s preseason finale against the Commanders.

The reason? It’s what those two teams had elsewhere at quarterback.

The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, including $100 million guaranteed, and got someone who has passed for 39,471 yards and 270 touchdowns in 12 years. You can criticize them for doubling down on the position after selecting Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 in the draft. But no one, internally or externally, is questioning whether Penix should sit. The Patriots, meanwhile, got Jacoby Brissett at a fraction of the cost (one-year, $8 million deal), and the position is still open, even with Drake Maye needing development time.

Brissett’s a great guy, and a pretty good player, too. But selling him to a locker room that doesn’t care much about your three-year plan at quarterback (by the way, that’s all locker rooms—veteran players aren’t there to see you develop a guy at the most important position) might not be easy. Especially when Maye, the third pick in the draft, is starting to flash the ability that made him such a high pick in the first place.

After a solid showing against the Miami Dolphins in the preseason opener , Penix was shelved for the remainder of the preseason. Head coach Raheem Morris stated that he had "seen all he needed to see" after Penix went 9-for-16 for 104 yards against the Dolphins' second-string defense.

There were rumors Penix's sitting had to do with spurring the talks of a potential quarterback controversy but judging from the front-loaded nature of Cousins' contract (Cousins is due $65 million over the next two years), there doesn't seem to be much of a debate who is QB1 heading into the season.

In contrast, New England is having to sell their fans on the bridge-quarterback route to rebuilding, urging them to bear with the organization as Maye develops.

Atlanta doesn't have that problem. Paying that premium lends Atlanta the benefits of peace of mind (presumably) at the position while Penix develops. If Cousins continues to improve as he did pre-injury, this Falcons offense has the potential to be one of the more potent in the NFL.

Even Breer states that Atlanta's approach has led to positive results in past instances of the "redshirt" quarterback.

But here’s the deal: Over the last 16 draft cycles, 48 quarterbacks have been selected in the first round. Among that group, there were only three real redshirts: Jake Locker in Tennessee in 2011, Patrick Mahomes in ’17 and Jordan Love in ’20. What all three had in common is they were behind accomplished starters—Matt Hasselbeck, Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers—playing for contending teams.

Bottom line: To actually carry out a redshirt plan, a full generation of data tells us that you have to have those two elements in place. Atlanta does, and New England doesn’t. So the Patriots are going to have to be historically disciplined to give Maye he needs to succeed.

It seems that Atlanta's approach, while unconventional, is starting to make sense to those outside the building. While risky, there is no doubt that General Manager Terry Fontenot is doing everything he can to keep his plan running smoothly.