FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has made one point clear throughout the offseason: Michael Penix Jr. is the team's starting quarterback moving forward.
"The organization has a quarterback that is certainly bright, that is certainly our future, that certainly can go out and make any single play and play in any single game that you can play in," Morris said after the Falcons' final game of the 2024 season. "... Michael Penix is certainly outstanding. He's certainly one of the guys that's going to play in this league and absolutely dominate for as long as we allow him."
While much of the current conversation about the Falcons' quarterback room centers around Kirk Cousins — to the point that a joke was made at the NFL's Annual League Meeting about Morris fielding several questions about his backup quarterback — there has been careful consideration given to how Penix will spend his first full offseason in the league.
The offseason is a time for individual work, and it's often spent away from a team's facility. That requires a level of coordination and faith on the part of coaches and the training staff that players will prepare themselves accordingly for the season to come. In recent years, high-profile players have even taken to holding pseudo-symposiums, like the Tight End University summit created by Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen, to gain insights from others and improve specific skills. Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan would often invite teammates to specific locations to work on chemistry and timing during the offseason.
Now, such responsibilities fall to Penix. After a strong three-game performance in which his poise, playmaking ability and promise were on full display, Penix is the leader of a young and talented offensive unit. His actions carry greater weight, even during the downtime. To help him along, Morris has discussed pairing Penix with those who have a proven track record, including Atlanta's last franchise quarterback.
"You talk about, 'What is your offseason plan?' and 'How do you go about that process?'" Morris said. "Try to hook him up with people to talk to about what they've done in their past, whether that be Matt Ryan, whether that be his coaches, whatever the case may be before he left."
During his 14 seasons with the Falcons, Ryan, who was inducted into the organization's Ring of Honor in 2024, worked with four different offensive coordinators and in a multitude of schemes. Those changes forced Ryan to adapt and grow. That growth was most apparent between the 2015 and 2016 seasons when Ryan worked to improve various aspects of his play, including his deep ball. That work culminated in Ryan becoming the first Falcons player to win the NFL MVP Award.
Now, Atlanta hopes he can pay those lessons forward.
Penix, the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, entered the league with several accolades of his own. He finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy, led all quarterbacks with 4,903 passing yards and tossed 36 touchdown passes while helping the University of Washington reach the national championship during the 2023 season.
The Falcons planned for Penix to sit and learn during his rookie season. Those plans were necessarily altered. But Penix's performance during the final three games provided a nice foundation for him to build upon. The work begins anew each offseason, however, and there's a lot that goes into preparing for a starting quarterback role.
"You have a 360 with him," Morris said. "Where he is in his nutrition plan; where he is in his living life; where he is in his performance and development and everything he's doing right now. Because all of those things, when it comes back to being worked up to go on April 22, he knows coming in as the guy he has to be ready to go and get his guys ready to go. What is his rhythm and routine with his arm? When does he take off? When does he get back going? All of those things have been fully discussed with Michael, and I believe he's on the right path and the right track to do everything the right way, like he's done since we've gotten him."
In his first three games as an NFL starter, Penix flashed his top-notch arm talent, ability to make progressions in the pocket and a feel for improvisation, which has become an important quality for quarterbacks. Although the Falcons went 1-2 in his three games, their two losses came in overtime without Penix and the offense getting a chance to possess the ball — a rule that has recently been amended. Penix completed 58% of his passes for 737 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in those games; he also scored on a scramble against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18.
"I'm definitely going to take stuff from what happened these past three weeks and find ways to get better," Penix said after the Panthers game. "Whatever I did good at, just continue to build off of that. I'm super excited for the offseason to be able to get ready to do that."
Although the team's record in his three starts left room for improvement, there's reason to feel optimistic about the future of Atlanta's offense with Penix in place behind a good offensive line and surrounded by electric skill players.
Last April, the Falcons were roundly questioned for their decision to draft Penix after signing Cousins in free agency. Now, while a new crop of teams are jockeying for the chance to add a quarterback they hope will usher in an era of prosperity, Atlanta can continue moving forward with a player they believe in and a plan to help him get even better.
"You've seen nothing but a mature young man that's showing great excellence throughout the course of his stay here," Morris said. "Couldn't be more pleasantly surprised with what he's doing."
