It's a popular refrain that the Atlanta Falcons have been in quarterback purgatory since trading Matt Ryan prior to the 2022 season. That's only partially true. Sure, Ryan was the unquestioned starter during his time in Atlanta, but he hadn't had a passer rating above 15th in the NFL since 2018.

The Falcons haven't either.

It's no coincidence that as the Falcons have been poor at the position for the better part of the last decade, the team hasn't had a winning season, and those losing seasons predate the Ryan trade.

The quarterback conundrum was still the biggest question entering the Falcons season under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski. Between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, it was actually a two-part question. Did they have a quarterback who was good enough to be a franchise guy, and could he stay healthy long enough to become that guy?

After seven weeks, the first part of that question looks to have been answered. Penix is having a breakout season under Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. While the second part of the question will take time to answer, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer thinks the door is open for Penix to lock down the long-term job.

"I’m not sure if Michael Penix Jr. is going to be the Falcons’ starter for (the) next five or 10 years, but that door is certainly opening," Breer wrote on SI. "And Sunday in Atlanta was a really good step in that direction. On the other side was a veteran 49ers defense that had held four of its six opponents to 17 points or fewer through a 6–0 start. A defense that, on this Sunday, was good enough to hold Bijan Robinson to 63 rushing yards on 20 carries."

Breer took note of Penix's numbers this season and was impressed. His passer rating is No. 4 in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least five starts. What he left out, though, is that four out of Penix's five starts have come against teams with a winning record: Packers (4-3), Ravens (4-3), Bears (5-2), and 49ers (6-1).

"That gives Penix a 3–2 record as a starter, following Atlanta’s 0–2 start without him, and this stat line through five games: 96-of-144 (66.7%), 1,157 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT, 109.1 rating. Which is more remarkable when you consider he’s just two months and two days past his first 11-on-11 practice in Kevin Stefanski’s system, and coming off his third ACL surgery," Breer continued.

It's a far cry from how the season started. Cooper Rush was forced into action after being plucked off his couch at the start of training camp, and the Falcons predictably went 0-2. Tagovailoa couldn't make it to Week 1 without a series of soft-tissue injuries, and Penix was still recovering from surgery.

"At that point, Atlanta looked nowhere at the position. That’s not the case anymore," Breer concluded.

Penix has proven that he's good enough to keep the Falcons from selecting a possible replacement in the first round of next year's draft. Now it's up to him to put the injury concerns behind him and continue playing at a high level.