FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons may be better positioned for a winning season with second-year coach Raheem Morris because the offense will be led by a quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., who won't feel like a first-year starter.
Penix said after Thursday's opening practice of training camp he feels more confident entering his second season because he was given his first three starts to close the 2024 season after Kirk Cousins was benched.
“Yeah, it’s very important,” Penix said. “Just knowing, just being able to go out there and get those games with full-speed reps. It instills confidence, knowing I can go out there and do the same thing that you saw in college and all my life. So, you know, just I would say biggest thing is confidence.”
The Falcons were 1-2 with Penix as the starter to finish 8-9 for their seventh consecutive losing season. Though the switch to the rookie didn't produce a playoff berth, Penix said the experience was important for his 2025 outlook and his chemistry with the offense.
“So Week 1 this year won’t be the first time I’m on the field with the starters in a game-time situation,” Penix said. “I feel like that was good as well. So the guys around me as well know what they’re going to get out of me.”
Penix spoke with confidence when he was asked about the potential for an offense that returns running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and an experienced offensive line.
“We should be the best in the league with the guys we’ve got around us,” Penix said. “We should be unstoppable. So that’s that’s our goal. We want to be No. 1 in all categories.”
Penix spent extra time throwing to Pitts and London this offseason and had Pitts on his mind when he spoke with reporters Thursday.
“You see we got KP the ball today,” Penix said to open the interview session. “There’s going to be a lot of that.”
Penix has the confidence of his teammates as the new leader of the offense.
“He’s just that guy and he goes out there and he does the same thing every day and that’s work hard,” London said, adding Penix “has a cannon” as a passer.
Cousins returns in a backup role after disclosing on the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback” that he played through pain in his right arm in the second half of the season, in part to avoid losing his job to Penix. Cousins threw eight interceptions with no touchdowns in a stretch of four straight losses following a 6-3 start and insisted through the streak he was healthy.
Morris said Thursday the comment by Cousins in the Netflix show was “kind of old news” and added “we addressed that when it was happening. ... Nothing was a shocker.”
Cousins, 36, signed a four-year, $180 million contract last March that included $100 million guaranteed. General manager Terry Fontenot has said the team is comfortable with Cousins as the backup to Penix. Morris said in the offseason “we won't hold him back if the opportunity presents himself” to be traded to a team looking for a starter.
Morris said “it feels more settling, more at ease” as he begins his second season as coach.
“I think it feels even more familiar than it had felt before,” he said. “Being back the second time, being back with the same people ... I’ll come back with the entire offensive staff coming back.”
Morris said all players reported on Wednesday and all are on schedule to be available for the season. Some players, including linebacker Troy Andersen (knee), won't be exposed to all contact at the start of camp. Andersen was placed on the physically unable to perform list. Also, inside linebacker Malik Verdon, defensive lineman LaCale London and defensive back Cobee Bryant were placed on the non-football injury/illness list and defensive back Kevin King was released.
The team's first practice in pads will be on Tuesday.
Right tackle Kaleb McGary showed off a new short haircut and said he is “all good” after having bone spurs removed from his ankle in an arthroscopic procedure.
Fans were invited to the opening practice, producing a long line at the gate surrounding the practice facility an hour before the session.
Morris said he is “really fired up about this team, really fired up about this organization, really fired up about the fan base.”
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