FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have been blessed in recent years with consistency along the offensive line. The same cannot be said at quarterback.

The two positions, though, need to be in sync for the success of their overall unit.

The quarterback isn’t necessarily an extension of the offensive line. But when he moves, so do the five in front. And they need to be able to without looking over their shoulders or turning their bodies around.

“The biggest thing as an offensive lineman is understanding the depth of the pocket and kind of where he’s going to be,” Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said. “That only comes with reps. There’s a certain feeling you have.”

As of right now, four open practices into the 2025 training camp, the Falcons’ offensive line is stacking those reps with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who’s entering his second season but first as the starter.

TRAINING CAMP REPORTS: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

The Falcons drafted Penix last year with the No. 8 pick. He took over starting responsibilities as a rookie in Week 16, when veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was benched due to performance issues. So, although limited, Penix already has the experience of three starts under his belt.

“I remember when he got the Giants start, that first week of practice, even I was like, ‘I gotta get used to his cadence. I gotta get comfortable with him,'” Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews said. “Then, by the time the game came around, we were clicking.”

In his first start – a win against New York – Penix completed 18 of his 27 passes for 202 yards. He was never sacked, but he did throw an interception on a pass that ricocheted out of Kyle Pitts’ hands. The Falcons totaled 127 yards rushing with two scores.

The next two games were back-to-back overtimes losses against the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers. Penix completed 40 of his 73 passes for 535 yards and three touchdowns between the pair of performances. He was sacked three times and threw two interceptions. The Falcons totaled 353 yards rushing with five scores.