Falcons' Michael Penix Jr shares crucial advice Kirk Cousins gave him after taking over as starter

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. talks to Fox News Digital in New Orleans about his first NFL season and what Kirk Cousins offered as advice.

NEW ORLEANS – No player in the NFL wants to have their starting role removed, especially not a team’s franchise quarterback. 

Atlanta Falcons veteran Kirk Cousins had to deal with that reality ahead of Week 15, amid a division title race no less, when head coach Raheem Morris said he was turning to Michael Penix Jr. to play under center. 

Cousins had been struggling despite coming off a 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders the week prior. Before that game, four straight losses saw Atlanta dip under .500. So, Morris had Penix face the New York Giants for his first career start. 

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Falcons quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and  Kirk Cousins on the field before the Pittsburgh Steelers game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

Speaking with Fox News Digital on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Penix explained the key advice he gathered from Cousins, who he had watched and studied all season.

"Just let the game come to you and be patient," Penix said while also discussing his partnership with Sharpie. "Even if you call a shot play, or a big play, you don’t have to take the big play if it’s not there. A lot of the stuff I learned from him was a lot of visual things, just the way he moved through his progression, getting to his fifth read, that’s hard to do, especially at the level we’re playing at. Hearing him in meetings talking about how he got to that last read, how he canceled out stuff early and stuff like that, it helped me out when I got in there early."

Penix’s first start didn’t see his