Falcons Say Michael Penix Jr. Timeline Set by Kirk Cousins

In what year will the Atlanta Falcons start Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback? Head coach Raheem Morris said the answer will be dictated by Kirk Cousins.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made his NFL debut Oct. 20 against the Seattle Seahawks. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons believe their present is quite bright.

Sitting atop the NFC South by two games and holding a 6-3 record, the Falcons appear poised to earn their first playoff bid since 2017. And yet, after drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in April, an eye remains peeking toward the future.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, making an appearance Friday on The Rich Eisen Show, noted Atlanta signed Cousins with hopes of getting a player who can lead the organization to its first Super Bowl. Thus far, he's done nothing but vindicate that belief.

A month and a half after adding Cousins, the Falcons brought in Penix -- who's made believers in the coaching staff.

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"We're able to go get a guy we felt like can take over the reins whenever we would end this thing, and he would be able to get right in there and keep us in the point where we don't have to go through quarterback purgatory ever again," Morris said.

Penix has played only once this season, working in mop-up duty against the Seattle Seahawks in a 34-14 loss Oct. 20. He completed his lone pass, a 14-yard gain to fellow rookie Casey Washington.

As such, Penix hasn't received much of a chance to prove himself under the lights. He has, however, impressed Atlanta's staff immensely behind the scenes.

"He's done such a great job of learning from Kirk, of mirroring Kirk," Morris said. "He's done such a great job of when called upon in practice to go execute, he's done all those things. He's done everything we've asked.

"He's been a model citizen, a student of the game -- just about everything you can do when it comes to developing and maturing him."

Penix, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Washington, spends much of his time on Atlanta's scout team. Quarterbacks coach TJ Yates said Penix has grown more comfortable in meetings while handling his practice reps well.

And for Morris, who inherited a quarterbacks room this spring featuring embattled alternate starters Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, avoiding such a situation moving forward was an important goal.

So, Morris turned to Penix -- but when the latter ultimately gets his chance isn't necessarily up to the Falcons. Instead, Morris said it comes down to how long Cousins, who's on a four-year contract worth up to $180 million, stays under center.

"I know it was highly criticized, but it was the way we wanted to go about making sure we can develop our quarterback in-house and be ready to go whenever that time comes," Morris said. "And the only person that sets that time frame will be Kirk.

"As long as he continues to play at the high level that he's playing, we won't have to worry about that, and neither will the world."

The Falcons return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (2-7) inside Caesars Superdome.

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