Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix is having an amazing summer for the Falcons, as teammates and coaches are impressed with what they have seen this far. Penix, the eighth overall draft pick in the 2024 draft, had the opportunity to sit behind Kirk Cousins for the first 14 games of his career. He started the last three games of the season as Cousins was benched for turnovers and inconsistent play. In an article on Atlanta Falcons.com by Will McFadden, quarterback coach TJ Yates sees the progress of Penix in the system in year two and the work he has put in during the season.
“Little footwork things, little accuracy things are always going to be part of quarterbacks just progressing,” Yates said. “It’s not a ton of stuff, but he’s always going to have to be able to learn more situations, learn more situational football â 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. He has great field vision. He can manipulate underneath defenders with his eyes. And sometimes he might not need to do that all the time, but it’s one of his greatest assets, so we don’t want to over-coach or out-coach some of those things out of his system. It’s just the process of learning the quarterback and learning how to coach him, and him learning the offense and rolling through those things.”
Cousins future uncertain
Cousin’s future is uncertain in Atlanta as his name has been mentioned in several trade rumors. Penix entered the league with a cannon for an arm, a sharp football IQ, and natural leadership, he was quickly handed the reins as the starting quarterback for the team. His rookie season showed flashes of brilliance. Cousin’s performance wasn’t solely on him as the offensive line struggled, the play-calling grew predictable, and Kirk began forcing throws to compensate. What followed was a disappointing season marred by turnovers, a dip in confidence, and whispers of doubt among fans.
Penix’s final three games
Penix finished the last three games of the season strong, as he displayed great poise and leadership.
“There are a couple of things about those three games where he just can manipulate defenders with his eyes,” Falcons quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates said. “How he saw the entire picture was kind of set in stone for all of us. Like, ‘Alright, we got a guy here.’”
According to TruMedia, he also ranked eighth among qualified quarterbacks in explosive pass rate. Penix gave Atlanta fans a glimpse of the future as he is the complete package. He has the flexibility to throw and run as a quarterback, as that brings a different dynamic to the Falcons’ offense. Atlanta will enter the season with high expectations after a good draft class and Penix taking over as the full-time starting quarterback.
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