DENVER (AP) — On an afternoon when Bo Nix sparkled, fellow rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made a cameo appearance in garbage time.
This is the cold, stark reality of the NFL — not all rookies start right away, especially when the team that drafts them just signed a high-priced free agent.
Nix showed all the promise that was expected, throwing for 307 yards and four TDs — both season highs — in leading the Denver Broncos to a 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
On the other sideline, Penix entered in the fourth quarter for mop-up duty, completing 2 of 4 passes and providing Falcons fans with a sneak peek of the future, whenever that day comes.
Until then, he's staying ready and learning as much as he can from veteran Kirk Cousins.
“Each and every day, I just try my best to be prepared,” Penix said. “Just watching Kirk and seeing see how he goes about his day, and how he operates at a high level. Just trying to feed off of that, so that whenever I do get in the game, I’m ready for those moments.”
Penix was drafted eighth in a QB-rich draft class that saw Caleb Williams (Chicago), Jayden Daniels (Washington) and Drake Maye (New England) go 1-2-3. They're all playing, taking their lumps at times but providing hope for their fans.
So is Nix, who was taken at No. 12 and earned the NFL's Rookie of the Week honor following a loss at Kansas City.
Penix is still waiting to get significant action. Sunday marked his second appearance. He threw one pass against Seattle in Week 7.
Penix, a lefty, is diving into his role as backup, learning everything he can from the veteran signal caller who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Falcons in March, about a month before Atlanta stunned the NFL by selecting Penix in the draft.
He's spending his game days on the sideline listening on the headset, and trying to envision what he would do in certain situations.
“It’s different being on the sideline than being in the game, but the best I can, just going through the reads, looking at the guys based on our reads,” Penix said. “Taking mental reps and trying to see what coverages they give us, different looks they give us.”
Penix completed his first pass of the game with around nine minutes remaining, a strike to Ray-Ray McCloud III for 20 yards. He completed another one, too, but he couldn't remember to which receiver.
Cousins helped remind him (KhaDarel Hodge for a 4-yard gain).
“Oh, yeah, yeah,” Penix said with a smile.
This wasn't any sort of evaluation game for Penix, coach Raheem Morris said. It was just a way to get Cousins out of a game that went south fast.
Cousins (18 of 27 for 173 yards and an interception) and the Falcons were kept out of the end zone while Denver outgained Atlanta 400 yards to 226.
With a bye week coming up, it was a chance to rest him before the NFC South-leading Falcons (6-5) face the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1.
“Penix got us out of the game, the game that got away from us and did a nice job of doing that,” Morris said. “Nothing to talk about. Michael Penix wasn’t being graded on that. He was able to get us out of the game a little bit healthier.”
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