Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. drops Kevin Stefanski praise after hiring

The Atlanta Falcons have a new leader in the locker room. After Raheem Morris’ firing, the Falcons have decided to go with another veteran coach in Kevin Stefanski. The former coach of the Cleveland Browns, Stefanski was one of the most prominent names in this year’s coaching search.

That being said, the new Falcons coach has some baggage with him. The end of his tenure in Cleveland brings forth some questions about Stefanski’s coaching chops. He’s also gotten some flak for his reported dismissive attitude towards certain players. That being said, his current quarterback, Michael Penix Jr, has full belief in Stefanski.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things,” Penix told RG.com in an interview. “I feel like he’s going to up our offense, take that next step that we need. We have the players to do it. I feel like the scheme that he’s bringing in is definitely going to help us as well. We look forward to it. I did have a brief conversation with him and Tommy Rees, the offensive coordinator. Those guys are super excited for what we’re going to be able to do and accomplish. I’ve heard nothing but great things.”

Stefanski, who was an offensive-minded assistant coach with the Vikings before being hired by the Browns in 2020, will have a chance to build a potentially great offense. The Falcons have elite weapons on offense: Bijan Robinson is already a top-3 running back in the league, Drake London is a talented yet underrated wide receiver, and Kyle Pitts is slowly coming into his own as a talented wide receiver.

The success of the offense relies on its quarterback, though. Penix had a rough 2025 season, completing just 60% of his passes for just under 2,000 yards. The Falcons QB also struggled with injuries, playing in just nine games last season. Penix’s first two seasons in the NFL have been uninspiring, but there’s hope that with an offensive playcaller in Stefanski, the lefty quarterback can bloom.

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