Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. shines in debut: 'I was ready to go'

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — When the Falcons won the coin toss Friday night, head coach Raheem Morris had his players elect to receive the ball. He could have pointed to wanting to test out the new kickoff rules, but he made clear why he put his offense on the field first.

"You know, really, I was just excited to see Michael, just being honest," Morris said. 

Michael, of course, is rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the team's first-round pick from Washington. This preseason might mean more to Penix than any other 2024 first-round pick. That's because with the Falcons having made a $180 million commitment to veteran Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback, Penix might not get to play as much in the regular season as any other first-round pick. So Friday was the first of three preseason opportunities for him to show what he can do at the game's highest level.

"It was fun to be able to be out there and compete," Penix said after Friday's 20-13 loss to the Dolphins. "Just having fun out there, playing a game I've been playing since I was 5 years old. No nerves, no jitters. I was ready to go."

Penix played Atlanta's first five possessions. The Falcons went three-and-out to open the game, with Penix missing on a deep ball on third down. The second drive ended when receiver Chris Blair fumbled after a short completion. But on the next drive, Penix went back to Blair, hitting him in stride on a 41-yard pass play down the sideline.

"I told C.B. I'll give him a chance," Penix said of going right back to him after the turnover. "On a vertical route, he won off release and he got open, so I've got to be able to deliver a good ball so that he can continue running. We connected like that."

That drive stalled at the 20-yard line with another third-down incompletion, yielding a 39-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo. But after an interception by corner Kevin King set the Falcons up at the Miami 16, Atlanta finally found the end zone. Penix connected with running back Carlos Washington for 13 yards, and then Washington converted on fourth-and-goal with a 1-yard touchdown.

"He's comfortable. He's a pro, for sure," Washington said of his rookie quarterback. "Of course, there's times you tell him, you know, 'Take a deep breath. It's all good.' But other than that, he's going to be a guy."

Penix's last drive ended with a punt, but he played well, finishing 9-for-16 for 104 yards. His performance was even more impressive considering the other Falcons quarterbacks — Taylor Heinicke and Nathan Rourke — went a combined 7-for-24 for 48 yards.

NFL teams are generally sitting their best players this weekend. The Falcons held out 26 players, including every projected offensive starter, and the Dolphins held out 40. Penix is one of the most high-profile backups in the league, and being able to get a glimpse of the Falcons' future is one of the highlights of what will be otherwise unimportant preseason games.

"We got a little pass-happy with him obviously being a first-round quarterback, but it was fun to see him go out there and execute some of the pass plays, to be able to get some stuff done and really lead the offense, to get them in and out of the huddle," Morris said. "Pretty much a pretty good night for him, and I was pretty pleased with what he was able to do."

Cousins, 35, isn't expected to play in the preseason as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, but he's on course to be the Week 1 starter, and barring injury, should be Atlanta's quarterback for the entire season. That makes the preseason more meaningful and more important for Penix, who admitted to one mistake, looking the wrong way on a pass play that ended up incomplete.

"I definitely had one mistake," he said. "The naked eye, the fans, they wouldn't notice it, but in our offense I know it. But other than that, I'm just trying to get points on the board. We want to score every drive. I want to score."

Penix will get two more opportunities in the preseason — next week at the Ravens, then at home for the preseason finale against the Jaguars.

"Every game means a lot," he said. 

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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