Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. shines in debut: 'I was ready to go'

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — When the Falcons won the coin toss Friday night, head coach Raheem Morris had his players elect to receive the ball. He could have pointed to wanting to test out the new kickoff rules, but he made clear why he put his offense on the field first.

"You know, really, I was just excited to see Michael, just being honest," Morris said. 

Michael, of course, is rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the team's first-round pick from Washington. This preseason might mean more to Penix than any other 2024 first-round pick. That's because with the Falcons having made a $180 million commitment to veteran Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback, Penix might not get to play as much in the regular season as any other first-round pick. So Friday was the first of three preseason opportunities for him to show what he can do at the game's highest level.

"It was fun to be able to be out there and compete," Penix said after Friday's 20-13 loss to the Dolphins. "Just having fun out there, playing a game I've been playing since I was 5 years old. No nerves, no jitters. I was ready to go."

Penix played Atlanta's first five possessions. The Falcons went three-and-out to open the game, with Penix missing on a deep ball on third down. The second drive ended when receiver Chris Blair fumbled after a short completion. But on the next drive, Penix went back to Blair, hitting him in stride on a 41-yard pass play down the sideline.

"I told C.B. I'll give him a chance," Penix said of going right back to him after the turnover. "On a vertical route, he won off release and he got open, so I've got to be able to deliver a good ball so that he can continue running. We connected like that."

That drive stalled at the 20-yard line with