Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. Praised for 'Really Good' NFL Preseason Debut By HC Morris

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for more than 100 yards in what head coach Raheem Morris described as a "really good" preseason debut Friday against the Miami Dolphins.

Penix went 9-for-16 for 104 yards, including a 41-yard pass to wide receiver Chris Blair, during the Falcons' 20-13 loss.

"He wants one of those throws back that output he threw on the sideline, but he was able to through some progressions," Morris said after the Falcons' 20-13 loss, per NFL.com's Nick Shook. "He was able to progress. We get a little pass happy with him since he's a first-round quarterback. It was fun to see him go out there and execute some of the pass plays and we were able to get some of the stuff done."

Morris concluded: "Pretty much, a really good night for him and I was really pleased with what he was able to do."

The No. 8 pick of the 2024 draft started the first five drives of the game, one of which ended in a field goal and another in a touchdown.

Penix entered his first NFL season facing some competition for the backup spot behind veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins, whom the Falcons signed to a four-year, $180 million deal in March.

Taylor Heinicke, the 31-year-old quarterback with six seasons of experience as a backup, was expected to retain the position he held last season behind former Falcons signal caller Desmond Ridder.

Penix appeared to win the battle during training camp. On the first unofficial depth chart released by the Falcons ahead of Friday's preseason opener, Penix was listed as the team's second-string quarterback, behind Cousins and ahead of Heinicke and Nathan Rourke.

That could mark the upcoming end of Heinicke's time in Atlanta. The Athletic's Josh Kendall reported Friday that the Falcons staff "is behaving like it would prefer to get some trade value for Taylor Heinicke and then stash a young quarterback on the practice squad."

While the Falcons look to make a decision on Heinicke, Penix is likely to see more preseason action as Atlanta prepares to focus on Cousins for the start of the regular season.

According to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, the Falcons' "best case" scenario for the 2024 season is for preseason contests "to be the vast majority (or all) of Michael Penix Jr.'s live action beyond practice."

That means fans can expect to see Penix again against the Baltimore Ravens next Saturday and taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars the following Friday, Aug. 23.

It is not yet clear if Cousins will be seeing any action during those games, although the veteran quarterback has been cleared to practice from last season's Achilles injury since July.