Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. fell to 1-3 in his NFL career as a starter with the Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Penix didn’t also drop on the QB index from NFL.com’s Nick Shook.
Instead, Penix rose three spots on Shook’s quarterback list entering Week 2.
“Penix’s playmaking moves him up the ranking,” Shook wrote. “He had to carry the Falcons late in the season-opening loss to Tampa Bay and deserved a better outcome.
“He needs more help from his supporting cast, especially his pass protection.”
By rising three spots, Penix will enter Week 2 at No. 24 on Shook’s quarterbacks list.
Given that Penix was ranked at No. 27 entering the regular season, the first-year starter really had nowhere to go but up. Entering Week 1, Penix was in Shook’s tier 7 of quarterbacks, which essentially featured promising, but unknown signal-callers.
In addition to Penix, Tennessee Titans’ Cam Ward and Minnesota Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy were the other quarterbacks in tier 7.
Just one other group — tier 8 — was below that. That tier included New York Jets’ Justin Fields, Indianapolis Colts’ Daniel Jones and New Orleans Saints’ Spencer Rattler.
Entering Week 2, Penix is now in the tier 5 of quarterbacks on Shook’s list. That tier included Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix, Cleveland Browns’ Joe Flacco, New England Patriots’ Drake Maye and Jones.
Interestingly, McCarthy is now in a tier below Penix. McCarthy also rose three spots on Shook’s list and jumped a tier. But McCarthy moved up just one tier instead of two like the Falcons quarterback.
Penix and McCarthy will face each other Sunday night for the first time since squaring off in the College Football National Championship game in January 2024. McCarthy led the Michigan Wolverines to a victory against Penix and Washington.
Penix finished the 2025 season opener going 27-for-42 with 298 passing yards and a touchdown. He averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and took just one sack.
The 25-year-old signal-caller also rushed for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Shook argued Penix deserved a better result in Week 1, but it’s certainly possible the Falcons quarterback would have moved up higher on his quarterbacks list if Atlanta had won the game. Penix did his part to make sure that happened.
Penix led the Falcons on an 18-play, 91-yard drive which took nearly nine minutes in the fourth quarter to take the lead. But the Falcons defense yielded the go-ahead touchdown less than a minute and a half later.
Once again, Penix moved the offense into position to score. The Falcons attempted a 44-yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime. But Atlanta kicker Younghoe Koo missed wide right.
The Penix-McCarthy matchup could be one of the more exciting showdowns of Week 2. The winner has a chance to greatly move up Shook’s quarterbacks list next Thursday.