Flory Branch, Georgia: It’s just been 48 hours since Michael Penix Jr. arrived in Atlanta. He still doesn’t have a place to call home. He hasn’t researched the best places to go fishing. He hasn’t battled the traffic in Atlanta. He is aware that he is carrying all the expectations that come with being selected in the first round of the draft, regardless of what the depth chart may indicate.
Shortly after his first practice as a Falcon, Penix said on Friday afternoon, “I can’t sit here and be star-struck no more.” “I have to make something.”
Raheem Morris, the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, has a phrase for a rookie that gives it his all from the first session. He refers to them as “Cat in the Hat,” a moniker he adopted from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin after the two
This stability is welcome news because everyone associated with the Falcons, including the front staff, coaches, fans, and club owner, are all nervous and feeling very exposed.
The Falcons are perhaps under the most pressure in the league going into the 2024 season—pressure that they put on themselves. The franchise selected Penix with its first-round choice, No. 8 overall, only weeks after locking up free agent Kirk Cousins to a huge $180 million contract. Thus, before Cousins had even put on a helmet, the Falcons manufactured a quarterback issue where none had previously existed.
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