The Atlanta Falcons are banking on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leading them back to relevance in 2025. The former top-10 pick showed a ton of upside in limited reps last season. Penix started the final three games of the year, passing for a career-high 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the 2024 season finale.

The Falcons offense has all of the ingredients to become one of the NFL’s top units in 2025. With Penix under team control for four more seasons, and playmakers all around, the future looks bright in Atlanta.

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NFL.com broke down the top 15 quarterbacks playing on rookie contracts and Penix made the cut. The former No. 8 overall selection landed at No. 9 on Nick Shook’s list, one spot ahead of Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy:

The strengths that made Penix a first-round pick showed when he finally took the field late last season. The win-loss results didn’t prove it, but that didn’t diminish my evaluation of him. Given a full offseason to prepare as the unquestioned starter, Penix should be able to help the Falcons in ways Kirk Cousins just couldn’t. Now is the time to prove Atlanta right. — Nick Shook, NFL.com

Penix was impressive, but his limited body of work landed him lower on the list than some of the other quarterbacks from his draft class. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was ranked No. 1, Bears QB Caleb Williams was ranked sixth, and Bo Nix of the Broncos landed at No. 7.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who faced off against Penix in Week 18, was ranked fourth on NFL.com’s list. The former No. 1 overall pick’s career got off to a shaky start in Carolina, but he came on strong over the second half of the 2024 season.

Young and Penix should have an interesting rivalry over the next few years in the NFC South. Other notable quarterbacks on NFL.com’s list were former first-round pick Kenny Pickett (13th) and Seahawks rookie Jalen Milroe at No. 15.

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This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. ranked among NFL’s top rookie contracts