Wide receivers, tight ends and running backs are no strangers to adjusting to different quarterbacks. Changes made at the QB position are common in the NFL, whether that is due to poor performance, injury or trades.
However, it's incredibly rare for receivers to be forced to adapt from a right-handed quarterback to a lefty. That's the case in Atlanta.
The Falcons have Michael Penix Jr. Under center as he replaced Kirk Cousins during the 2024 season.
The offensive weapons for Raheem Morris' team, which are headlined by running back Bijan Robinson and wide receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney, all had to make the adjustment. Making the change at the most crucial position on offense is complex, but when it comes to a lefty quarterback, there are a number of other variables to consider.
Here is how Atlanta is adjusting from the right-handed Cousins to the left-handed Penix.
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Is Michael Penix Jr. Left-handed?
Penix is a left-handed quarterback, a rarity in the NFL. He became only the second starter in the league to throw with their left hand at the time he became the starter, joining Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa in the unique category.
For those that are on the receiving end of Penix's throws, it's not just as simple as catching a ball from a QB throwing from the opposite side. A pass from a lefty looks and feels much different than one from the typical right-hander. The rotation of the ball is reversed since it is being spun the opposite way, which means it will look different in the air, as well as in the hands once a receiver gets a hold of it.
Mooney is no stranger to playing with a left-handed quarterback. The Falcons wide receiver played with a southpaw in high school. So when he heard the news that Penix was taking over, he called his former quarterback for assistance, wanting to get a feel once again of what it was like to catch balls from a lefty.
"Once I got the information, I called my high school quarterback," Mooney said. "I told him, 'Come to the house. We got to get the reps in so I can see this ball in the air.' So, he's at the house right now."
The starters in Atlanta aren't used to catching balls from Penix. He spent a majority of the season taking reps with the backups and practice squad. Even Morris admitted that the No. 1s on offense don't have much experience building chemistry with the rookie.
That makes the input of the practice squad members all the more important. Wide receiver Chris Blair, a player on the practice squad, knows what it's like to be the target of a left-handed quarterback having caught many of Penix Jr.'s throws during the practice sessions. He said that it took him a "couple of weeks" before he was confident reading the ball.
"You have to lock in on the ball," Blair said. "You're so used to a right-handed quarterback when the ball hits your hands you can catch it confidently, and then turn up the field. But, with Mike, you have to kind of focus in a little bit more. But it'll be OK. It became natural because we had so many reps together, so it made it a lot easier."
Penix and the offense have put in the extra work in order to get everyone acclimated to the different throws. With it being crunch time at the end of the season, it's imperative all involved are on the same page as soon as possible.
"We got to do that in order to make him feel [comfortable] and to make us feel comfortable as well," London said. "At the end of the day, it is a different spin, [and] he's got heat on that ball, so you got to be able to catch it."
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How many left-handed quarterbacks are in the NFL?
There are currently three left-handed QBs on NFL rosters — Penix Jr., Tagovailoa and Browns QB Dillon Gabriel.
Tagovailoa has been the starter in Miami since 2020, when he was selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the Dolphins. Penix Jr. Joined him in the league this past spring when the Falcons shockingly took him with No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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