Raheem Morris might have gotten away with it if things went as planned with Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons coach didn’t do enough to prepare Michael Penix Jr. to play as a rookie, and it showed once Penix replaced Cousins as the starter. Now, we’ll see what Penix can do now that Morris has committed to him as QB1 for an entire offseason.
It’s truly Penix’s team for the first time since the Falcons drafted him No. 8 overall. Penix’s development isn’t the only thing on Morris’ to-do list when players report to Flowery Branch on Wednesday for training camp. But all other items are secondary to the task of preparing Penix to become an effective starter.
Everything is riding on it, including perhaps the jobs of Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. The Falcons aren’t likely to end their playoff drought at seven years unless Penix performs better than he did during three starts to end last season.
“It’s going to be a lot of time on task,” Falcons wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard said during the offseason. “That’s going to be necessary for growth. We’ll have to continue to address that and answer that question as we go. But at least we have three games under our belt.
“We set the bar. There’s an expectation. Now, the work begins. Everybody’s excited to get a full year of Mike, and we look forward to seeing what’s going to happen.”
There’s plenty of mystery about that. Hardly any NFL quarterback drafted as early as Penix in recent years saw so little action as a rookie.
Per Pro Football Reference, NFL teams have drafted 41 quarterbacks with the No. 8 pick or higher since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002. Only five of them started fewer than three games as rookies. One of them, Philip Rivers, went on to have a long and successful career. The four others were busts: JaMarcus Russell, Jake Locker, Terrelle Pryor and Trey Lance (he’s still in the league).
The career path of those players undermines the idea that it’s best for elite quarterback prospects to sit and wait. But so much of a young quarterback’s success in the NFL depends on variables outside of their control. They include coaching, supporting cast and injury luck.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Penix will play with a deep and talented group of skill players and a good offensive line. By all accounts, he’s dedicated to his craft. If he stays healthy and isn’t up to the job, then Morris will face intense scrutiny for Penix’s lack of development.
The Falcons had planned on Penix not playing as a rookie. Cousins signed a contract with the most guaranteed money ($100 million) among last year’s free agent class. Morris had to get Cousins ready to start for his new team and get back in game shape as he recovered from Achilles surgery. But Morris didn’t maximize the opportunities for Penix to play.
Cousins got nearly all the work with the No. 1 offense during training camp. Penix played in one exhibition game, with other reserves, for only 24 snaps. That’s an unusually low number for any backup. It was especially risky considering Cousins was a 36-year-old who was recovering from major surgery.
Cousins got nearly all the practice reps once the season started, as is the custom for the starter. His play declined after undisclosed injuries to his shoulder and elbow in Week 10. Morris turned to Penix for Week 16, and the rookie’s lack of work with the first-team pass catchers showed during his three starts.
Penix’s timing with his receivers were just a little off at times. After Morris failed to call a timeout during a crucial late-game situation during the loss at Washington, Morris said he expected Penix to sprint to the line and run a play. Penix could have practiced that situation more during training camp and exhibition games, or even late in the Falcons’ blowout loss at Minnesota in Week 13.
It’s possible that Penix will benefit from sitting behind Cousins for a year. At the very least, it gave him a chance to see up close what it takes to be a good quarterback before being thrown into the fire. The three starts gave Penix a taste of NFL game speed and areas for improvement.
“(Penix) has to learn more situational football,” Falcons pass-game coordinator T.J. Yates said. “When to do certain things, when not to do certain things. He’s an aggressive player with an aggressive arm, but sometimes you’ve got to be able to dial it back a little bit.”
The Falcons hope they’ve finally found the answer at quarterback with Penix. They enshrined Matt Ryan in the team’s Ring of Honor before they found a suitable replacement for him. Falcons starting QBs since trading Ryan before the 2022 season: Marcus Mariota (backup in Washington), Desmond Ridder (free agent), Taylor Heinicke (competing for No. 3 QB with Chargers), Cousins and Penix.
Penix’s development is far from the only thing to watch for the Falcons during the preseason.
New defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will continue installing a new scheme. The Falcons need rookie pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. to make an immediate impact. The team will have to figure out if kicker Younghoe Koo still has it.
Penix’s preparation is the most important item on the list. The Falcons desperately need winning quarterback play. If Penix is ready to do it in Year Two, then everyone will forget that Morris didn’t have him ready for his chance in Year One.
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