Michael Penix Jr. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Social media had a field day crushing publisher EA Sports after a photo of Madden 25’s depiction of Michael Penix Jr. surfaced online.
EA appears to have gotten it all wrong by making the rookie quarterback white, with his facial features far from what we know the real Michael Penix Jr. to look like.
The highly anticipated video game will be released on August 19, and the developers are still working on it. However, a photo of Penix has leaked online two months ahead of time.
Check it out below:
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Of course, as other fans pointed out, the game is still in development and will likely be fixed before it launches. It’s also not unusual for rookies to look completely different while Madden is being worked on.
Michael Penix Jr. Caused A Stir At The NFL Draft
The Atlanta Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. was the biggest surprise from the April event.
The team had just signed Kirk Cousins in free agency when they decided to take Penix at No. 8, shocking everyone, including Cousins.
Falcons legend Michael Vick has defended the decision from Atlanta, however, branding it “smart” in a recent interview.
“I think it’s the right move for the future,” the former quarterback told Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik. “It’s not a rush to get Michael Penix out on the field. At some point, he’ll be ready. But right now, you got a good quarterback in Kirk Cousins who can move the chains and give you a chance to win every Sunday, Monday and Thursday. I think that’s all you can ask for. But it was very strategic by the Falcons and very smart.”
It’s certainly an interesting dynamic for the Falcons. But only time will tell whether their decision was sound.
NFL GM Says What Everyone Else Is Afraid To Say Out Loud, As He Reveals The Truth On Why Falcons Owner Arthur Blank Hates The Michael Penix Jr. Selection
Arthur Blank and Michael Penix Jr. (Photos via Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons’ selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at this past weekend’s NFL Draft continues to dominate the headlines, having gone down as the most shocking pick of the event.
The Falcons, who only recently signed Kirk Cousins to a massive $180 million deal (with $100 million guaranteed), surprisingly made Penix the No. 8 overall pick on Thursday night, prompting rife debate.
As expected, the topic has been one attracting much discussion at ESPN, with Mima Kimes branding it somewhat illogical during an episode of ‘First Take,’ pushing back on Dan Orlovsky branding the decision as a perfectly sound one for the future.
“I find the justification to be somewhat logically incoherent… if you think you’re going to be good, which is why you pay Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed, you’re doing your team a disservice by not making your team better so that you can compete now… it just doesn’t add up for the team or the player,” Kimes said.
Kimes’ former ESPN colleague, Dianna Russini, who is now with The Athletic, has added to this, posting a video of Kimes offering her opinion and stating that she’s spoken to several coaches and general managers who share the same view.
Arthur Blank Might Not Have The Patience To Wait Around For Michael Penix Jr.
Russini also revealed that one GM thinks the pick was even more perplexing, given owner Arthur Blank’s age. Blank is 81 and, according to said GM, doesn’t care what happens after 2026 and wants to see his team win now.
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“Mr. Blank is how old? He wants to win now… he’s not obsessing over ‘26 and beyond. They have needs now,” he was quoted as saying.
This suggests Blank might feel like he has little time left and wants to see the team win a championship before he kicks it.
Blank bought the team for $545 million in 2002; it’s now worth around $4 billion. Still, they have never won a Super Bowl, with two NFC Championships and six division titles to their name.
As for the decision to draft Michael Penix Jr., it’s hard to imagine Falcons GM Terry Fontenot going ahead without approval from the owner.
