When the Denver Broncos benched Russell Wilson ahead of Week 17, it likely signaled the end of his time with the team.
With uncertainty at the quarterback position entering the offseason, a new 2024 mock draft from CBS Sports wasted no time replacing Wilson.
Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has the Broncos selecting Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
“In the wake of the Russell Wilson news, it is rather clear that Denver will be pursuing other options at quarterback,” Edwards wrote on January 8. “Michael Penix Jr. is a leader who can come in and provide some hope.”
In 2023, Penix led the Huskies to a 14-1 campaign, winning the Pac-12 Championship over the Oregon Ducks. He finished as a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, losing out to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. Despite losing out on the coveted award, the Washington star was deserving.
Last season, Penix led the nation with 4,903 passing yards and threw 36 touchdown passes. In the 2024 Sugar Bowl against Texas, he played perhaps his best game of the season. Penix passed for 430 yards and displayed his especially lethal deep ball to a national audience.
Washington’s fairytale campaign did not have a happy ending, however.
The Michigan Wolverines defeated Washington 34-13 in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship. Michigan held Penix to 27-of-51 passing for 255 yards with 1 touchdown pass and 2 interceptions.
Joel Klatt Gushes About Michael Penix Jr. on Denver Radio: ‘Better Version of Tua (Tagovailoa)’
How Denver decides to replace Wilson remains undecided heading into the 2024 offseason. If the Broncos were to select Penix, the team would be getting a quarterback who could improve “13, 14, 15 teams next week if he was on their team.”
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt gushed about Penix during his January 8 interview with Denver Sports, suggesting he would “take him in the top five (picks) tomorrow.” He also made an eye-opening NFL comparison.
“Let me put it this way — and I know this is going to sound crazy — he’s a better version of Tua (Tagovailoa). Like, if he’s on Miami’s team right now with Mike McDaniel, they’re more dangerous,” Klatt said.
While comparing Penix to a rising NFL star is up for debate, Klatt believes there is zero question regarding his poise.
“Here’s what I love about the way that he plays: It’s one, yes, he’s got great wide receivers and they’ve got a terrific offensive line that provides him time, but he doesn’t panic, even if he does get pressured. Texas pressured him 16 times in that game (the Sugar Bowl on January 1), and he only took 1 sack. He was a master at manipulating the pocket, getting himself in a position to throw the football down the field,” Klatt said.
Having a quarterback who handles pressure well would be a refreshing change for head coach Sean Payton. Wilson and Jarrett Stidham were sacked 52 times in 17 games this season.
Overcoming Adversity Could Serve Michael Penix Jr. Well in the NFL
Most NFL teams will probably scoff at Penix’s extensive injury history throughout his collegiate career. Those organizations must understand how overcoming that adversity enabled him to shine at Washington.
He played his first four seasons at Indiana University, each ending prematurely due to a season-ending injury.
Penix suffered two torn ACLs that ended his 2018 and 2020 campaigns. In November of the 2019 season, Penix was ruled out for the year with a sternoclavicular joint injury to his right (non-throwing) shoulder.
Then, in 2021, he was sidelined with an acromioclavicular joint separation in his throwing shoulder. Such a heartbreaking stretch of injuries would have broken the wills of most players. Not Penix.
Penix needed a change of scenery and transferred to Washington in December 2021. The Huskies went 11-2 during his first season with the team in 2022, winning AP Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts.
