When the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in April, no one was more astonished than incumbent starter Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons didn’t notify Cousins they were going with Penix until they were on the clock. External concerns over Cousins’ and Penix’s ability to coexist ensued.
Penix says there are no such worries.
“It’s been great,” Penix told SportsCasting’s DJ Siddiqi. “Just a lot of learning and development happening every day. Just trying to be prepared every day, since you never know when my number will be called. I stay prepared.”
Penix said he and Cousins didn’t communicate much about the draft. After all, neither could do anything about the scenario, which arose six weeks after Atlanta signed Cousins, 36, to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million.
Rather than concentrating on the past, Cousins and Penix collaborated to create a positive environment in Atlanta’s quarterback room.
“Our conversations are all ball — things that will help our team win football games,” according to Penix. “He’s been a wonderful presence in the quarterback room. He has answers to all of my queries, and he asks me questions that I will answer. We work together.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to help this team win football games.”
Cousins has had a strong, albeit erratic, first season in Atlanta. He’s completed 68.1% of his passes, totaling 2,807 yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions.
Penix, for his part, has played in two mop-up games, a 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 20 and a 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 17. Penix has gone 3-for-5 passing for 38 yards in his short playing time.
Cousins praised Penix after the team’s loss to Denver, citing the value he contributes to team meetings.
“He’s doing a great job,” Cousins remarked. “A hard worker, and our quarterback room has always worked together since day one to help each other progress. “Not just one person, but everyone working together to improve every day.”
Penix has spent his first season mostly focusing on Atlanta’s scout team offence throughout practice. It’s his primary source of physical reps, as he mentioned that much of his activity comes from mental reps.
Still, the 24-year-old Penix, who is seen as Cousins’ long-term successor, approaches each day as if he is the starter. He wants to keep prepared so he doesn’t have to get ready.
Penix knows that his time will come. So do the Falcons and Cousins.
However, neither party is allowing the situation’s dynamics to interfere with the 2024 Falcons’ ultimate goal: winning. As a result, Penix is satisfied with his draft position.
“I felt like where I landed is where I deserve to land,” Penix told me, “and God put me here for a reason and I’m super blessed for it.”
Leave a Reply