Falcons Have 'Lot of Confidence' in Rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons have liked rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s progress this season.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made his NFL debut against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Trailing 34-14 late in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris radioed to quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates requesting a change under center.

The game, Morris said, was effectively over. He didn't want to risk injury to starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, so Morris ordered a switch to rookie Michael Penix Jr., the No. 8 overall pick in April's draft.

There was no rah-rah, "big ole speech" to Penix, Morris noted Wednesday. After all, Atlanta didn't need much from Penix, who played seven snaps and completed his lone pass attempt for a 14-yard gain.

Atlanta was trying to "get the hell out of dodge," Morris said. Still, the moment served as the realization of the 24-year-old Penix's childhood dreams.

And while Morris isn't reading much into Penix's brief debut, he can take this much: Penix didn't shy away when his opportunity came.

"I think he's a young man that stays ready," Morris said Wednesday. "He's a young man I got a lot of confidence in if something were to happen for him to go in and execute what we got to get done because of what I see in practice.

"So, it wasn't one of those things where I actually went over to him and said anything to him (or) I looked him in the eyes to see if he was ready. He was ready to go."

Morris's confidence stems from the work Penix does as Atlanta's scout team quarterback throughout the week, a job Penix performs well at, Yates said.

It's an underrated task, but one that has given Penix a chance to stay involved on the field. He's grown more comfortable off the field in the Falcons' meeting room, as well.

Yates said Penix is naturally quiet, but he's begun talking more. He's impressed Yates with his intelligence, be it talking about protections or offering input on other facets.

The 24-year-old Penix, who played six seasons of college football, has no shortage of on-field experience, Yates said, and he's older than nine of his teammates.

As such, Penix carries a uniquely impressive persona into Flowery Branch each day.

"He's been great," Yates said. "He's a very mature player, mature person and a smart player -- he played a ton of college football. He has a lot of insight and experience you wouldn't really expect from a rookie. It's almost like you don't view him as a rookie."

Yates is an important part of Penix's development. So is assistant quarterback coach D.J. Williams. At times, Penix and Cousins split different directions -- Cousins goes with Yates and Penix follows Williams.

But when it's all together, the room -- which Morris calls "the quarterback contingency" -- is a cooperative, mutually beneficial environment.

"It's been great," Cousins said. "The quarterback room kind of continues to be what it's been, which is that working force where we're all pulling together. You don't really want to know, 'Okay, who's the person that's starting the game this week?'

"You want it to be, 'We're all in there together, asking questions, talking about what we know, what we've just seen, what we're thinking -- causing us all to kind of sharpen our minds and get better. And that's the way it's been, and we'll continue to be."

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Penix, meanwhile, is taking his development on a day-to-day basis, and while he was happy to check another box off his bucket list, he knows he has bigger fish to fry on the football field long-term than mop-up duty.

But for now, Penix is waiting in the wings -- and feeling more at home by the day.