Luke Kuechly liked what he saw from Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr.'s NFL debut

Carolina's legendary linebacker was impressed by Michael Penix Jr.'s confidence.

Tim Weaver | 22 Hours Ago

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 15: Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly looks on prior to a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

When they met back in Week 7, the Carolina Panthers got beaten handily by the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 38-20. Kirk Cousins looked perfectly fine in that matchup, posting 225 yards, a touchdown and a 97.2 passer rating in Atlanta's win. That might as well have been a thousand years ago in football time, though. Every team goes through big changes throughout the season, and the Falcons have gone through a major turnover since then.

After completely bombing five starts in a row, Cousins was benched by the Falcons last week in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. Even though his numbers were not all that great (202 passing yards, no touchdowns, one interceptio) Penix looked good on film according to Panthers legend Luke Kuechly. Here's what 59 told Kay Adams about Penix's NFL debut earlier this week.

Luke Kuechly on Michael Penix debut

"[Michael Penix Jr.] looked really good, he played with a ton of confidence" 🔥@lukekuechly on Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. season debut 👀@UpAndAdamsShow | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/BeMpK79vyB
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) December 25, 2024

It may take a while for Penix to catch up to the speed of the pro game, but during his time in college Penix was one of the most-impressive passers in the nation. He can put plenty of touch or zip on his throws as needed and is particularly sharp challenging defenses vertically.

The Panthers will get to face Penix for the first time in ther final game of the season. The date and time for that Week 18 has still yet to be determined by the league, though.