FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons' 2024 season ended on a bitter note Sunday with an overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers. As head coach Raheem Morris took to the podium to address the media following the loss, he, too, tasted the bitterness of the moment. He called the outing a "disappointing day" for the Falcons' defense, which had made significant progress from the bye week onward.

However, for every disappointed feeling Morris had about the defense, the head coach had something hopeful to say about Michael Penix Jr.

"Realistically, the light at the end of the tunnel for us, despite how bad and poor we played on defense or anywhere else," Morris said, "is the quarterback."

Organizationally, the Falcons have been in a long, winding tunnel at the quarterback position since trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in March of 2022. When Morris was hired in January of 2024, the Falcons had spent the last two seasons riding the quarterback carousel, going from one quarterback to the next in search of someone who could infuse confidence, consistency and stability into the offensive operation. In March 2024, they believed that person would be Kirk Cousins. After 14 games, that was no longer the case, and in came Penix, who in three starts this season has the coaching staff hopeful for what his career could be.

"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. "Those are the things we'll talk about I'm sure ... moving forward. We'll figure out ways to fix what we need to fix. We'll figure out ways to fix the things we got to get done. But 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."

Given Penix's individual success, and the overall offensive output in his three starts, Morris was asked Monday whether or not he felt regret about not going to Penix sooner when the decline of Cousins' play became apparent. The head coach said it's difficult to call the feeling that of regret.

"When the decision was made, I felt like the team played really well outside of our quarterback position," Morris explained, "and that's why I made the change."

As Penix's future in Atlanta brightens, Cousins' future with the Falcons remains clouded.

"Kirk left (Monday), gave me a hug and said he'd talk to me soon," Morris said. "We will make some of those decisions with him. You just never know. That's the process we will go through now."

Regardless of what happens with Cousins, though, doesn't change the way the Falcons currently feel about Penix. That's because Penix's future is the Falcons' future. The organization is going all-in on their No. 8 overall draft pick.

And let's be honest: This is not a position the organization has been in for a few years now. It's a different feeling, but not all-together a bad one; and that's because of Penix.

In three games, Penix has shown a knack for manufacturing big-time explosives and decisive plays that move the chains and put the ball in the end zone.

In fact, his stats over three games indicate there's room for more production to come. He had an average completion percentage of 58.77% in those outings, completing 58 passes for 737 yards. He's taken care of the ball, too. Despite his career stat line reflecting three interceptions, one should not be so quick to put the blame solely on Penix's shoulders — two came on balls that ricocheted off a receiver. He's got one of the most naturally strong arms in the league. He'll need to develop a bit more finesse and touch on his throws, but that will come with more time on task. Still, his connection with Drake London was obvious, even in a short amount of time working together.

Overall, there is a lot to like about what the Falcons have in Penix. And even if no one wants to hear about the future of the Falcons' organization one day after their 2024 season ended, it's impossible not to talk about what they have in their rookie quarterback.

"When you've got a young quarterback like that, you're cooking with gas," Morris said. "That's what fires me up. Despite how angry I am or pissed off right now, when you look at No. 9, he gives us the best chance to win football games moving forward."