What new Falcons OC did, didn't say about Michael Penix Jr.

Neither recently hired Atlanta Falcons president of football Matt Ryan nor new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski has publicly guaranteed that Michael Penix Jr. will be the club's starting quarterback whenever Penix recovers from his latest injury later this year.

On Wednesday, new Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was introduced to media members. Rees had plenty to say about Penix, but also stopped short of saying the one thing some may have been waiting to hear. 

Why Tommy Rees is excited to work with Michael Penix Jr.

"Extreme arm talent would be the first thing, just from a film standpoint, that you see," Rees said about Penix's strengths, per Matt Urben of Falcons Wire. "I mean all the throws, outside the numbers, down the field, can throw with anticipation and can throw with great accuracy. He's a tough guy in the pocket, man. I mean, he will stand in there and deliver the ball down the field. Like any young player, there's always going to be areas for improvement and growth, and that's what we're so excited to get to work with Michael on. But I mean, there's a lot to really, really like on the film. I'm excited and eager to get ready to build that with him."

Evaluating Penix, a 2024 first-round draft pick, is a difficult task since he hasn't yet spent an entire season as an active starter. He made just three starts as a rookie after he served as Kirk Cousins' backup for the bulk of that campaign. Penix then went 3-6 over nine starts this season before he needed surgery to repair a partially torn ACL.

While the Falcons are expected to release Cousins early in March, Penix's injury history has sparked concerns about his ability to stay healthy as a pro. He suffered two ACL tears before he was drafted and before he went down with his latest setback. 

Tommy Rees wants Michael Penix Jr. "to have success"

"Had a chance to meet him and what a great young man," Rees added about Penix. "Overlapped with some guys that I coached in college over different points of my career, and everyone has always spoken so highly of him. You meet him for two minutes, and you can feel that right away. I think you're looking at a young player that's really hungry and eager to get back out there, and it's our job as coaches to put him in a position to have success."

As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk noted, Rees "did not comment on the chances of Penix earning the starting role." That could say more about Rees' true feelings regarding Atlanta's quarterback situation than the comments Rees made about Penix.