Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me every other week, and you'd be the Atlanta Falcons. This has been a season of soaring highs and dismaying lows for the Dirty Birds. There have been moments where Michael Penix Jr. looks like the next great quarterback. In others, he looks completely in over his head.

In all reality, the Falcons won't give up on Penix because of a single bad performance. Especially not in the rain, in a tough road environment. That said, you couldn't script a more disastrous outing than the one Penix experienced on Sunday in Tampa Bay. He completed 8-of-24 passes for 125 yards with four interceptions. Tampa led the whole way and Baker Mayfield did not complete a single pass. Again: Penix underperformed the guy who did not complete a single pass! If you, a Falcons fan, are understandably distraught, here are some long-term alternatives to dream on:

The ideal rookie replacement: Trinidad Chambliss

The Falcons aren't going to finish low enough to select top QB prospects like Drew Mestemaker or Darian Mensah. Thankfully, this is a deeper QB class than normal, so if needed, the Falcons can probably find a reasonably exciting cornerstone in that 8-15 range. One name stands out above the rest: Trinidad Chambliss.

He's undersized and he'll be 25 years old as a rookie, so there are red flags. Critics will question Chambliss' durability; others will claim his confidence borders on overconfidence. Chambliss is the best quarterback in college football for my money, however. He should've been a first-round pick last year, but he found a loophole and returned to Ole Miss for a hefty NIL sum. Such is life in the modern era.

Chambliss can duck and weave under pressure, use his legs to escape the pass rush, and hit tight windows on the move. He's easily the most exciting, show-stopping playmaker in college football. He will need to check his worst impulses and refine his technique in the NFL, like any rookie quarterback. But there's a potential star here.

The shot in the dark: Anthony Richardson Sr.

Anthony Richardson Sr. has spent a couple years in the dog house under head coach Shane Steichen in Indianapolis. Given how the Daniel Jones experiment (and Steichen's tenure more broadly) has panned out, one can't help but wonder if the Colts wish they'd given Richardson more of a shot. The former first-round pick is not without considerable downside. He is also the most naturally gifted QB athlete in the NFL. If ever there was a 24-year-old capable of shaking off three years of stymied development to become a star, it's Richardson.

To be clear, this is not a surefire upgrade. When Richardson was last in the conversation to start games for Indy, he was an eratic decision-maker who couldn't seem to master the basics of an NFL offense. His footwork was a mess. For all his arm talent, Richardson couldn't hit the ocean from the beach half the time. The tools don't matter if you don't know how to use them. It's like handing me a wrench and asking me to fix your plumbing.

That said, Richardson has spent a couple years in the shadows, working exclusively on development behind Daniel Jones — and even Philip Rivers, for a brief moment in time. Some young QBs just need patience. Richardson is still Penix's junior by two full years. There's a chance for a special second act with a talented team and a competent coaching staff, which the Falcons can provide.

The only viable free agent: Mac Jones

The 2027 NFL free agent pool is not exactly brimming with great quarterbacks. A Kirk Cousins reunion is off the table, for obvious reasons. The Falcons don't need a one-year stopgap either. Deshaun Watson is probably the so-called "best" QB available, at least by on-field reputation. That's assuming the Browns' whirlwind ascent continues, which is far from guaranteed.

If the Falcons are going to replace Penix via free agency, they need to find a younger QB who can step in and start for an extended period. Mac Jones is the only viable option. The 28-year-old is another former first-round pick; he flamed out in New England, but that was largely Bill Belichick's fault. Jones has since become the most dependable backup in the NFL. He stepped in for an injured Brock Purdy last season and delivered a 5-3 record in eight starts, completing 69.6 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns to six interceptions.

Atlanta should account for the Kyle Shanahan of it all, of course. Not every scheme is made equal. That said, Jones looks to be a new man, with a strong pocket presence and sharp processing skills. The Falcons shouldn't pay him some ungodly sum, but as a modestly priced starter, Jones could be good enough — while empowering the Falcons to spend on other positions of need.

The toolsy reclamation project: Cam Ward

Cam Ward was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Already, he's on the outs in Tennessee. The Titans could be forced to consider drafting his replacement come April, especially if consensus top prospect Drew Mestemaker is sitting there at No. 1. It's hard to fully blame Ward given the dearth of resources and support around him, but it's similarly hard to watch the Titans every Sunday and believe he should captain their future.

That presents a buy-low opportunity for the Falcons. Ward has a lot to improve, but he has also never played with a receiver like Drake London, nor a tight end like Kyle Pitts or a running back like Bijan Robinson. At 24 years old, Ward still has ample room for growth. This dude was dropping haymakers left and right at Miami a couple years ago. Ward has serious arm talent, with the athleticism to navigate a crowded pocket and create unconventional angles.

If the Falcons can rebuild Ward's confidence and put him in a real offense, he could become the future.

The pipe dream (right?): Justin Herbert

The Falcons might get squeezed for a second-round pick if Cam Ward is made available next summer. If Justin Herbert is made available, it could take multiple first-round picks. The Los Angeles Chargers won't abandon their centerpiece of seven years without a fight.

Then again, it's unclear what other options are available to the Chargers, another team potentially in the mix to draft Mestemaker No. 1 overall. Los Angeles is the last remaining NFL team without a win this season. Herbert, a two-time Pro Bowler who has spent the majority of his career in top five conversations, leads the league in interceptions (eight) and fumbles (six). He has lost all his mojo. It's one of the biggest meltdowns in recent history.

Herbert is locked up on a prohibitive $52.5 million AAV contract, too. So the Falcons need to be comfortable with not only sacrificing their future picks, but also tying up a quarter of their cap space in Herbert's revival. Maybe he comes to Atlanta, settles his heartbeat, and returns to perennial Pro Bowl status. Or maybe it's the most catastrophic misstep in Falcons history. The risk-reward ratio here is off the charts. Atlanta may need to know something we don't about Herbert's situation.