Shannon Sharpe didn’t hold back after watching the Falcons’ loss to the Bengals on Sunday, and Michael Penix Jr. was the target of his criticism.
Sharpe said Atlanta ought to start thinking about the quarterback position for next season, and he made that point plainly on X/Twitter: "Falcons should be in the market 4 a QB," Sharpe wrote on X/Twitter."He’s the 3rd or 4th best QB in a bad division."
The comments came after Penix finished 20-of-31 for 162 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Atlanta’s 34-17 defeat. That pick came late in the fourth quarter, when the Falcons were already trailing 34-17.
Before posting, Sharpe also took aim at Penix’s arm strength, saying the quarterback had a receiver open for a touchdown but underthrew him.
The rough outing added another layer to a difficult season for Atlanta, now sitting at 3-6. Still, Penix has not been the only issue.
Entering the Bengals game, the former Washington standout had completed 61.9% of his passes for 1,282 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Four of those picks came in last week’s 16-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Atlanta also had plenty of problems on the other side of the ball Sunday. The Bengals piled up 388 yards, including 155 from Ja’Marr Chase, while the Falcons were flagged 12 times and repeatedly hurt themselves with penalties.
Penix is in his third NFL season, but this is his first with head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Ian Cunningham. The Falcons still believe in him, but it would not be a shock if the team eventually decides to move on and look toward a new franchise quarterback for 2027.
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