The Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with no plans to play him anytime shortly with veteran Kirk Cousins serving as the team’s starter. And in a shocking turn of events, it sounds like the team isn’t even planning to give him reps during the preseason, either.
Michael Penix Jr. did not appear in Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens as head coach Raheem Morris said that the team has “seen enough” from Penix.
“It was all about that. Last week we wanted to get him out there and get a feel for what he was in a live game, which we kind of already knew,” Morris said according to Pro Football Talk. “We wanted to see him be able to answer questions, talk about it on the sideline, go out there and execute, make mistakes and know what to do. . . . We saw enough last week of Michael Penix in the live stuff and now we had the chance to mitigate him in practice, you know, we give him a bunch of live stuff in practice that you do everything that you would do in a game other than get hit.”
And it doesn’t sound like they’re going to play him in the next preseason game, either.
“We feel really good where we’re at with Michael. . . . Mike showed us last week enough that we don’t have to play him in the preseason,” Morris said.
It’s certainly a bizarre decision.
