The Atlanta Falcons have a starting quarterback for Week 1: Tua Tagovailoa. And while Michael Penix Jr.'s recovery from a torn ACL factors in here, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Penix has been cleared to play. Sure, giving him extra time to get ready is a factor here, but if the Falcons truly thought he was the answer at quarterback, would they really have kept him sidelined when the NFC South divisional battle is expected to be so close? You could call it playing things safe, but if Penix really had a chance to be Atlanta's long-term option here, the team would be playing this a bit differently, right?
At this point, what's the upside to keeping Penix around? Atlanta kept four quarterbacks on its roster, a thing that you shouldn't do, even if multiple teams around the league have made that mistake this season. Cooper Rush is a solid backup. Jack Strand has appeal as a developmental prospect. Let's just go ahead and find Penix a new home.
Proposed Lions-Falcons trade for Michael Penix Jr.
Why adding Michael Penix Jr. makes sense for the Lions
The Detroit Lions have a rough situation behind Jared Goff. Joshua Dobbs is the only other quarterback on the active roster after the team waved the white flag on the Hendon Hooker thing, and the practice squad only features undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer. This is a prime situation to make an addition, and a younger guy who could, perhaps, develop into something if Goff hits a wall soon is a good way to go.
(I'm not saying Goff is about to hit a wall. I'm just saying that he turns 32 this season and is entering his 11th NFL season. You can't be good forever, though Goff is a guy who gets by more on his understanding of the game than on physical talent, so that should extend his career a bit. (Should is the key word there.)
Lions depth chart behind Goff is a disaster
Honestly, though, the bigger concern isn't "Goff falls off." It's "Goff gets hurt and the team is forced to start Dobbs," something that I don't think a playoff contender can really get away with in 2026. The journeyman backup has a career record of 3-12 as a starter and has thrown just two more touchdowns than interceptions in his career. If he were pressed into action on a bad team, then fans of that bad team would probably be like "whew, glad we have Dobbs out there!" Fans of a good team, or a theoretically good team, wouldn't have the same reaction.
Lions QB | Career starts |
|---|---|
Jared Goff | 151 |
Josh Dobbs | 15 |
Luke Altmyer | 0 |
This isn't to say Penix is some star in the making, but he's a recent top-10 pick who already has more career wins than Dobbs, and there were encouraging signs to his 2025 play, as his completion percentage rose and he actually led the NFL with the lowest interception rate in the league at just 1.1 percent.
Maybe things haven't worked out in Atlanta, but Penix feels like the classic example of a guy who could succeed with a different coaching staff. The Lions could acquire someone who'd be a capable starter if Goff went down, and while he'd likely be gone in free agency after 2027 barring a completely meltdown for Goff or a breakout that convinces the Lions to invest in him as their starter, it still fixes a major need for two years for a team whose contention window is probably smaller than we think it is.
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