Michael Penix Jr. Set to Take the Reins for Falcons Against Bears

The Michael Penix Jr. era in Atlanta is officially off the launchpad.

According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, the Falcons' head coach says the quarterback is on track to start against the Chicago Bears, assuming he avoids any late-week setbacks.

"Marc Raimondi tweeted that the Falcons coach says Penix is on track to start vs. Bears if no setbacks."

Atlanta is coming off a 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, a game that apparently served as the final straw for the current offensive setup. When you drop a tight one to Baltimore, the leash gets a lot shorter, and the coaching staff is clearly ready to see what their young signal-caller can do.

Penix is drawing a fascinating debut assignment. He gets a Chicago Bears squad that just got absolutely dismantled by the Green Bay Packers to the tune of 31-7.

Facing a defense that just gave up 31 points to a division rival is the NFL equivalent of getting the substitute teacher who has already given up on the lesson plan. It is the perfect runway for a young quarterback to test his deep ball without staring down a historic pass rush.

This move immediately scrambles the board for anyone looking at the weekend slate. A quarterback change introduces a massive variable, especially when there is zero pro tape on how this specific offense looks with Penix actually running the show instead of holding a clipboard.

If Penix stays healthy through the final walkthroughs, we finally get to see what the Falcons' offense looks like with a new engine. Chicago will be desperate to wash off that Green Bay blowout, but Atlanta is betting their new guy has the juice to keep the Bears in the mud.