Raheem Morris isn’t budging on his preseason plan for Michael Penix Jr., keeping the rookie on the sidelines for Friday’s matchup against the Titans — just as he did in Week 1. However, Morris did hint that Kirk Cousins could see his first action.
Raheem Morris says Michael Penix Jr. will NOT play this Friday. Still undecided on Kirk Cousins. #Falcons
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) August 12, 2025
The idea that Michael Penix Jr. couldn’t use the extra reps during the preseason is laughable. He’s essentially a rookie quarterback who saw minimal action at the end of last season. That three week sample size was impressive, but let’s not pretend like there weren’t several things Penix could improve upon.
There are far more proven quarterbacks across the National Football League that are playing in the preseason. If they can risk injury in order to feel more prepared for Week 1, Michael Penix Jr. can afford to do the same
What’s even more baffling is the notion of Kirk Cousins playing preseason snaps. Cousins is a 14-year veteran who started nearly all of last season and has dealt with multiple injuries over the past two years. In a perfect world, the Falcons would love to deal him to a QB-needy team. Putting him on the field in August is an unnecessary gamble.
Cousins doesn’t need the reps. Penix does, especially with a pivotal Week 1 matchup against the Buccaneers looming. Yet somehow, Atlanta appears to be flipping that logic on its head. There’s no rhyme or reason to the decision, and while it hopefully won’t matter too much, it’s hardly an encouraging sign from Raheem Morris, who didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his first year as Atlanta’s head coach.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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