Eyebrows were raised on Saturday when Michael Penix Jr. did not suit up for the Falcons’ preseason contest against the Ravens. The first-round rookie quarterback will also be on the sidelines for Atlanta’s final exhibition contest despite not being injured. 
“Mike showed us last week enough that we don’t have to play him [further] in the preseason,” head coach Raheem Morris said after the game, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall (subscription required). “Last week, we wanted to get him out there and get a feel for what he was in a live game, wanted to see him be able answer questions and talk about it on the sideline, he did a lot of those things. We saw enough last week with Michael Penix in live stuff.”
Indeed, the No. 8 pick took part in the Falcons’ first preseason contest against the Dolphins. He started that game, completing nine of 16 pass attempts for 104 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. That action – in addition to reps during training camp, of course – will wind up being the only time Penix sees the field before the regular season, however. Starter Kirk Cousins has taken all first-team reps upon returning to health from his 2023 Achilles tear, and to little surprise he has not played so far in the preseason and will not be used next week.
Of course, Atlanta’s decision to add Cousins on a four-year, $180MM contract and then select Penix is the dominant storyline of the team’s offseason. Cousins was taken aback by the Penix selection, and owner Arthur Blank‘s latest comments on the decision confirmed the team did not intially anticipate selecting a Day 1 signal-caller. Nevertheless, plenty of consideration was given to re-vamping the quarterback position during the offseason.
A lengthy piece from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Marc Raimondi details that Raheem Morris was aware of Atlanta’s situation under center being a key reason why there was a head coaching vacancy in the winter. Arthur Smith was fired after a third straight 7-10 season, and the search for his replacement ultimately landed in Morris being brought back into the organization. His performance upon return – coupled with the play of Cousins under center – will go a long way in determining if the Falcons return to the postseason in 2024.
As the ESPN report notes, staffers within the organization were split on whether to take Penix or edge rusher Laiatu Latu in the first round. The UCLA product was seen by some as the top prospect at his position (in competition with Dallas Turner), and pass rush represented a much larger need than quarterback after the Cousins signing. Atlanta attempted to move back into the first round after the Penix selection to acquire Latu, but the latter wound up going at No. 15 to the Colts. Turner came off the board two picks later, well before the Falcons’ next selection. Of course, Atlanta has since added Matt Judon via trade to help along the edge.
The team – like many others around the NFL – was not high on the quarterback classes of the immediate future, a factor which helped inform the commitment to Penix. As Fowler and Raimondi add, other elements such as the success of the Packers’ model in developing QBs on a lengthy timeline and the expectation a top passer will be out of reach in future drafts due to strong showings with Cousins helped sway the decision. Being on the books through 2028 (if his fifth-year option is picked up) will give Penix plenty of time to acclimate to the NFL level provided Cousins remains healthy.
The latter’s base salaries for 2024 and ’25 are guaranteed, and Morris made it clear after the draft there will be no competition despite Penix being added. Especially in the wake of that stance, it is surprising the Washington alum did not see any action today and will not be on the field next week. Penix’s absence opened up more time for Taylor Heinicke, who will likely also get the start for the preseason finale.
Heinicke is believed to be on the trade block, and it would come as no surprise if he were to be moved between now and roster cutdowns at the end of the month given the presence of Cousins and Penix for 2024 and beyond. In any event, Penix will not be in position to see the field again this season unless Cousins is forced to miss time through injury for the second straight year.