The Atlanta Falcons shocked the world in the 2024 NFL Draft when they selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick, despite the fact that they recently signed Kirk Cousins to a massive deal in free agency just a month earlier. Penix almost certainly won't take the field in 2024, but how he progresses behind the scenes is going to be a storyline worth keeping an eye on.

Penix has begun the process of getting acclimated with the NFL throughout the spring, and while he's looked raw at times, he's also showed off his considerable upside. However, with Cousins and Taylor Heinicke also on the depth chart, it looks like Penix is currently slotted behind them for the time being.

“Penix has shown flashes of brilliance this spring, especially on the deep ball. But he also has been plagued with inconsistency, missing some touch passes. Not a huge surprise for a rookie QB. Penix has mostly worked with the team's backups, with veteran Taylor Heinicke seemingly second string behind Cousins, at least at this point. That's fine with the Falcons, who surely hope Penix is absorbing knowledge.” – Marc Raimondi, ESPN

Falcons hoping to develop Michael Penix Jr. over the next few years

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr (9) shown on the field during a break during Rookie Minicamp at the Falcons Training Camp.
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Even though he's already 24 years old, the Falcons want to take their time developing Penix. He balled out in college with Washington over his final two seasons, but there are also several lingering concerns surrounding him that Atlanta wants to work on. Considering how much money they have invested in Cousins, that shouldn't necessarily come as much of a surprise.

What may be more surprising is that Heinicke appears to be ahead of Penix on the depth chart for the time being. While his experience on the field is obviously a plus, Heinicke wasn't all that great during his time for Atlanta last season, so in theory, Penix would be given an opportunity to earn the backup job over him. Instead, it appears to be the other way around.

While it may seem a bit irrelevant, if Cousins can't play, who the Falcons turn to is a big storyline. Given how high they drafted Penix, they would seemingly be fine with throwing him under center in this situation. That could still be the case, but if it is, it looks like Atlanta is going to make Penix earn the backup job, rather than just giving it to him over Heinicke.

In a perfect world, Penix won't take the field for Atlanta as a rookie, and will be afforded an opportunity to learn behind the scenes from a pair of veterans in Cousins and Heinicke. But even if one of those guys goes down, there's no guarantee that Penix will see the field, which makes his situation with the Falcons even more confusing than it was right after the team drafted him.