The Atlanta Falcons’ 2024 season ended with a tough overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. After the game, head coach Raheem Morris spoke about the disappointment, especially regarding the defense, which had shown improvement after the bye week. However, despite the tough loss, Morris found hope in the performance of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
“Realistically, the light at the end of the tunnel for us, despite how bad and poor we played on defense or anywhere else,” Morris said, “is the quarterback.”
Since trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2022, the Falcons have struggled at the quarterback position. They went through a series of quarterbacks in search of someone who could bring stability to the team.
When Morris took over in January 2024, the plan was for Kirk Cousins to be that person. But after 14 games, it was clear that Cousins was not the answer, and Michael Penix took over. In his three starts this season, Penix has given the team hope for the future.
“The organization has a quarterback that is certainly bright, that is certainly our future, that certainly can go out and make any single play and play in any single game that you can play in,” Morris said. “Those are the things we’ll talk about I’m sure … moving forward. We’ll figure out ways to fix what we need to fix.
We’ll figure out ways to fix the things we got to get done. But Michael Penix is certainly outstanding. He’s certainly one of the guys that’s going to play in this league and absolutely dominate for as long as we allow him.”
Given Penix’s success and the positive results from the offense in his three starts, Morris was asked if he regretted not making the change to Penix sooner, especially as Cousins’ play declined. Morris said it’s hard to call it regret.
“When the decision was made, I felt like the team played really well outside of our quarterback position,” Morris explained, “and that’s why I made the change.”
As Penix’s future with the Falcons looks promising, the future of Kirk Cousins with the team is uncertain.
“Kirk left (Monday), gave me a hug and said he’d talk to me soon,” Morris said. “We will make some of those decisions with him. You just never know. That’s the process we will go through now.”
However, regardless of what happens with Cousins, Penix’s place as the future of the Falcons is clear. The team is fully committed to their No. 8 overall draft pick.
In just three games, Penix has shown a talent for making big plays and moving the ball down the field. His stats from these games suggest there is still more to come. He completed 58 passes for 737 yards with a 58.77% completion rate.
He’s also been careful with the ball, with only three interceptions—two of which were off tipped passes. Penix has one of the strongest arms in the league, and though he’ll need to refine his touch on throws, that will improve with experience. His chemistry with wide receiver Drake London has already been evident.
There’s a lot to like about Penix, and while it’s hard for anyone to think about the future so soon after the season’s end, it’s clear that the Falcons’ rookie quarterback has potential.
“When you’ve got a young quarterback like that, you’re cooking with gas,” Morris said. “That’s what fires me up. Despite how angry I am or pissed off right now, when you look at No. 9, he gives us the best chance to win football games moving forward.”
