ESPN’s bold prediction for the Falcons is not very bold

Dan Graziano of ESPN just typed up 32 bold predictions — one for each team. But to call his prediction for the Falcons bold is insulting to the word bold. In it, he says we shouldn’t be surprised if Atlanta is back in the market for a quarterback this offseason.

“There’s still time for Michael Penix Jr. to show he can be the guy moving forward, and the fact that he was finally cleared for 11-on-11 team drills last week after an offseason of injury recovery is a good sign,” Graziano writes. “But this is a new front office and coaching staff, different from the one that drafted Penix. Throughout the offseason, the sense we got was that the Falcons were leaning toward starting Tua Tagovailoa over Penix, even if both are healthy. The problem was that Tagovailoa struggled, and now Atlanta isn’t sure he’s the guy for this season, let alone the future.”

I’m not sure there was a soul inside the Falcons building that truly believed Tagovailoa was going to start games past this season. He has a lengthy injury history with concussions and was horrendous last season for the Dolphins. The only reason the acquisition made sense is because the timeline of Penix’s recovery was unknown, and Tua was signed to a veteran minimum deal. It was wise business by the Falcons, but nobody expected him to be the guy.

Penix, on the other hand, flashed at times during his first full season as a starting quarterback. There’s no way of really knowing what he could be at this level. The only thing we do know is that his injury history is extremely concerning. He’s already suffered five season-ending injuries, including three different ACL injuries, dating back to his college days.

Because of that, the Falcons opted to carry four quarterbacks on the roster! That’s not a sign of an organization that believes they have their next franchise quarterback in the building. I just can’t believe Graziano put this on paper and dared to call this bold. This might be the least bold take in the history of takes.

The Falcons haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Matt Ryan was traded to the Colts. I’m not sure if Graziano heard, but that was more than a half-decade ago, and Ryan is now the team’s President of Football. Of course there’s a very good chance they are in the market for a quarterback next offseason — even if there’s still a glimmer of hope that Penix could be much better than many expect once he’s 100%.

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(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)