BakoSaint

I very strongly disagree with that concept. There has to be accountability, starting jobs have to be earned. I think being drafted in the 1st round might have destroyed Penning's work ethic and gave him a sense of entitlement. Letting underperforming players keep starting indefinitely to maintain their confidence is just not an option for a competitive team. If the backup is outperforming him, the backup needs to start. And if the backup is outperforming him without the starting gig, imagine how much better the backup will be when being promoted boosts his confidence! Entitlement will destroy a team. Some players may lose confidence and spiral when benched while others may develop a chip on their shoulder and come back stronger, but just gifting low performers the starting gig to boost their confidence will destroy more than one players confidence, it will destroy the entire teams confidence, because none of the players will believe their performance will be acknowledged and rewarded. If anything, what destroyed Penning's confidence was starting him before he was 100% ready, which he may never be.

I would not count on Penning to start again EVER until he proves it. At this point he is a bust and you can hope for improvement but the minute you take that improvement for granted and say he will be fine, that is when you assure it will never happen. Does he have athleticism? Sure. So does Zach Wilson. That means nothing without well rounded skills and results. If he wants to try Guard maybe that will work, but don't pencil him in, he has proved nothing. For Andrus Peat guard was a disaster and his height meant he could not consistently get leverage and was worn down and constantly injured, for Penning it may prove no better. At this point Penning is Zach Wilson, he is Kevin White, he is Jalen Reagar. Counting on him is a pipe dream. The coaching needs to smack him in the face and see if he smacks back or bends over. And any coach or GM who drinks the Kool Aid and says Penning will be great next year and its like having an extra 1st round pick, they need to go. The fact is if we offered up Penning for trade, we would be lucky to get a 7th round pick. If he does not produce in 2024, he will likely be cut and looking for vet minimum camp invites.