Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is sharing some of his feelings about working with veteran Kirk Cousins. Penix Jr. says he is learning a lot from training alongside an experienced play caller in Cousins.
“He's so smart,” Penix said of Cousins, per ESPN. “Just continue to learn from him and continue to just watch what he [does] day-in and day-out, how he carries himself and how he leads the offense.”
Cousins joined the Falcons this offseason from the Minnesota Vikings. He's played more than a decade in the NFL, leading several different franchises. Penix is a rookie from Washington, who was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Penix was selected with the eighth overall selection.
“It'd be good to have anybody on the team with Kirk,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “I mean, you're talking about the ultimate pro. But when you're talking about your quarterback, your heir apparent, for sure [Penix is] certainly going to get a lot of stuff off of him.”
Falcons looking for the postseason in 2024
Atlanta is undergoing a lot of change this season. The team not only has the two new quarterbacks, but a new head coach in Morris. Atlanta parted ways at the end of last season with Arthur Smith, who had three consecutive losing seasons.
Morris had success as an assistant in the NFL. He worked on the staffs of two different franchises who won Super Bowl championships, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams. As a head coach, Morris hasn't had that same success. He is 21-38 as an NFL coach, working for Tampa Bay and as Atlanta's interim coach back in 2020.
Morris' job is to lead the Falcons back to the postseason. Atlanta has missed the playoffs for six straight years, and the team's fortunes have gone south since the epic implosion Atlanta suffered in the 2017 Super Bowl. The Falcons built a 28-3 lead in that contest, but ended up losing in overtime 34-28.
There's certainly a lot of hope and optimism in the air for Atlanta. Both Cousins and Penix are accomplished gunslingers, at different levels. The rookie Penix led Washington this past season to the College Football Playoff final, against Michigan. Cousins made four Pro Bowl appearances, and he led the league in passing completion percentage during the 2015 campaign.
Falcons fans get their first chance to see these quarterbacks in action, when NFL preseason games begin. The Falcons start their schedule with a matchup against the Miami Dolphins on August 9.
Follow Us
Subscribe