Falcons Coach Says Michael Penix Jr. has Trait Most 'Great' QBs Have

The Atlanta Falcons have seen promising flashes from first-round rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s first two starts.

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is only two starts into his NFL career. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had perhaps his most impressive drive through two starts late in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Commanders.

Penix led a game-tying 12-play scoring drive in just over three minutes, capped by a touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Pitts on fourth-and-goal from the 13-yard line. He went 5-for-8 passing for 77 yards on the drive, during which he also converted a third-and-5 and fourth-and-11.

The pass to Pitts, along with intermediate out routes to receiver Drake London, showed Falcons head coach Raheem Morris that Penix, in addition to his plethora of physical tools, has an important trait that's common for successful quarterbacks.

"You're talking about a guy that's a great anticipatory thrower, and Michael throws the ball with great anticipation," Morris said Monday. "Most of the great quarterbacks that we know, that we've seen, throw the ball with great anticipation, and they throw it before the guy's open. We call it throwing them open."

Morris believes Penix did exactly that on his touchdown to Pitts, which was the first scoring pass of Penix's young career. He also did it on his second career interception, coming in the first quarter after miscommunication between he and receiver Chris Blair.

"He lets that thing go on line on the fourth down to Kyle Pitts in the back of the end zone, throwing that ball well before the break, in and out of the break, in between two defenders -- great anticipation," Morris said.

"When you throw the ball that way, just like on the interception he threw, if somebody runs the wrong route and you throw the ball with great anticipation that they're going to be there and they're not, that lets you down and you can get an interception."

Morris's answer came in response to a question about Penix's chemistry with his receivers after a late-season quarterback switch from veteran Kirk Cousins to the 24-year-old first-round pick.

At halftime of Sunday night's loss, Penix approached London. The rookie passer said he needed to be better, to which London reassured him by noting they'd only played six quarters together.

Penix spent the first 14 weeks of the season as Atlanta's scout team quarterback, meaning he didn't get many reps with the starters. In addition to chemistry questions, the ball spins differently from left-handed quarterbacks, making the adjustment difficult for the Falcons' wideouts.

Yet in must-have situations Sunday night, Penix and London connected well. They still feel they have room to grow -- and progress should come with reps.

"They're talking about their work and what they need to do on their indicators when breaks are going to happen and when he's going to come out," Morris said. "Some of the outside breaking routes that Drake's been able to run that seem like they're seamless, some of those pressure routes that we ran yesterday with Drake that are awesome, those are things you've got a lot of accumulated reps on."

Morris pointed to a few inaccurate redzone passes Penix made against the Commanders as an instance of chemistry needing more work. That won't happen overnight, and Morris added they'll work on it this week in practice and into the offseason.

The standard, Morris said, can be found with the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I can only think about the tandems that have been together for a long time," Morris said. "We're talking about the great ones, right, Joe Burrow and Ja'marr Chase. That is time on task, and that's what we're talking about. We're talking about being able to get those things.

"And it is a tall task to ask the guy to step in and be able to do those things. It is the reason we didn't actually want to do those things right away. We were put in the situation that we are."

Morris, one can assume, is alluding to the Falcons starting Penix. They signed Cousins to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million this spring with intents of starting him for at least the next two seasons, during which he's set to receive $90 million guaranteed in addition to a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 that's paid March 17, 2025.

Atlanta didn't pay Cousins that type of money to bench him after 14 starts, but after the 36-year-old tossed nine interceptions to just one touchdown in his final five appearances, the Falcons were left with no choice.

While not their plan, the Falcons are getting one positive: an early look at the player they think can be their long-term future under center.

"I love the kid," Morris said postgame Sunday. "I love the kid’s fight. I love the kid’s desire. He represents us. He represents Atlanta. He represents everything that's good about us."