Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will sit out the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Head coach Raheem Morris said that after the rookie didn't dress in the second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, he'd seen enough from Penix. The coach doubled down on Monday, noting that he's holding the QB out of the final preseason game because he's gotten plenty of practice snaps.
"You've seen the amount of reps that Michael's been able to get without really taking away from our starter," Morris said Monday, via The Associated Press. "He's got a huge amount of reps versus our starting defense. And I feel really good about where he's going and what he's going to develop."
The decision to put Penix on ice for the final two preseason games will raise eyebrows. Given that in the ideal situation in Atlanta, Penix would be a spectator for the entire season behind Kirk Cousins, many teams would want to get the rookie extra reps now. Morris doesn't feel that pressure.
"I could play him a little bit more if I needed something else," Morris said. "But I don't feel that way. And I don't think any of the people that I would talk to in that circle of trust would feel that way, or we'd be playing him a little bit more."
In his lone preseason appearance against Miami, Penix played well, completing 9 of 16 attempts for 104 yards, showing off his big arm.
Morris sitting Penix for another game, while most of his draft class has been on the field each of the first two weeks, is sure to spark speculation -- from questions about Cousins' preparedness for Week 1 to whether the Falcons don't want to cause a QB controversy.
Morris, however, suggested it's simply because the team's seen enough in practice that they're not worried about getting the 24-year-old rookie game reps right now.
"Michael's role is really clear on what we want to see," the coach said. "He's done a great job of getting better throughout this process."
If everything goes to plan in Atlanta, we won't see Penix on a field again in meaningful moments until 2025.
