Falcons to start Michael Penix Jr. at QB vs. Giants

D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec 17, 2024

Published in Football

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ATLANTA — With their playoff hopes and season on the line, the Falcons are benching veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and handing the football to rookie Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons announced in a statement Tuesday night.

The move came just a few hours after coach Raheem Morris was non-commital to several questions about the team’s quarterback situation in a virtual call with local media.

“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in the statement. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”

The statement suggested that the move is for more than the upcoming game.

The Falcons are 7-7 and one game behind the Buccaneers (8-6) in the NFC South with three games to play. They host the Giants on Sunday and then play at the Commanders and host the Panthers to finish the season.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked Penix earlier this month whether he was ready to play in case of emergency.

“I’m always ready,” Penix said. “I have to be because you never know when that time will come. I’m going to stay ready.”

Morris had been pretty firm about sticking with a slumping Cousins until Tuesday.

Cousins had thrown nine interceptions and just one touchdown over the past five games, which included four losses until Monday night’s 15-9 victory over the lowly Raiders.

Cousins, who was sacked three times and hit nine times in the 20-17 loss to the Saints on Nov. 10, was listed on the team’s lengthy injury report Nov. 14. Before getting pulled in the 38-6 loss to the Broncos on Nov. 17, Cousins was sacked four times and hit six more times.

After a stellar career at Indiana and Washington, Penix was drafted eighth overall. The plan was for him to learn the ropes behind Cousins, whom the Falcons signed to four-year deal, worth up to $180 million, as a free agent this offseason. Penix has appeared in just two games this season.

Penix said the length of the season has surprised him.

“I’m just staying in the moment,” Penix said. “Staying focus. Just coming in here and being the same guy every day.”

Penix has played a supporting role for Cousins.

“For me, it’s just encouraging, telling him what I see base on the sideline,” Penix said. “Same thing with all of the other coaches, we all sit together and watch the film. We talk about what we see. We do that each and every week. Being there for him, being there to support him. We’re both on the same team. We both want to win football games, that’s what it is about at the end of the day.”

Penix has been running the opposition’s offense and getting very little work running the Falcons’ offense.

He will work through the game plan with the first team this week.

“It’s a lot of mental reps,” Penix said. “You can sit on the sideline, or I sit behind the play, and I just watch the play out in my head the best that I can. I don’t have rushers coming at me and having to move in the pocket and stuff like that, but as far as repeating the play, going through my reads, throughout the play, seeing what I would do in pressure situations, passing-down situations. That’s the best way you can do it, mental reps.”

Penix compared being a backup to being a freshman in college.

“Everybody wants to play, it doesn’t matter how old you are you want to be on that field,” Penix said. “But at the end of the day, I embrace my role. I knew coming into here what my role (would) be. I’m just trying to be the best to help this team win football games.”

Penix believed that he improved while working with the scout-team offense.

“There’s a lot that I’ve learned since college since I’ve been here,” Penix said. “I always say to myself that one day I’m going to be a high school coach. I feel like I’ll be the best coach ever, knowing what I know now. I wish I knew what I know now, back then. It’s all about maturing and growing up in the game. I feel like I’ve been doing a good job with that. Just trying to continue to push myself to be great in everything that I do. I feel like I’m increasing … getting better.”

The AJC asked quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates how Penix was doing in practice and if he was ready in case of an emergency.

“That’s the tough thing about being a backup quarterback,” Yates said. “You’ve got to be ready at the drop of the hat without having those type of (game plan) reps. But he does everything on a week-to-week basis. Preparing as much as you can mentally, much as you can physically. (He’s) taking those other receivers and staying after practice. He’s coming in early. He’s doing all the right stuff.”

The time to be ready has come.

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