Raheem Morris just calmly spun the Michael Penix Jr. injury into a positive
It isn't easy. In fact, it's a learned skill, and Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris put it on full display when discussing quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s latest injury news.
A positive attitude.
When asked about Penix's lengthy injury history -- including previous ACL tears -- and how that influences Morris' thoughts on the latest setback, he offered hope rather than expressing it being a negative.
"It gives me great ease because of Michael, first and foremost. Knowing that he's been through it let's you know, it gives you an example," he told the Falcons media during a press conference.
Raheem Morris nailed his attempt on a positive outlook after hearing Michael Penix Jr. was officially out for the season
Amidst what many Falcons fans might call a feeling of discombobulation, at the moment, Morris remained calm. The team's franchise quarterback is officially shelved for nine months after it being announced he'd undergo another ACL operation. Yet, Morris did offer some positives, namely Penix's support system.
"Knowing his support group, his father, and his parents, and his future wife, the people in this building, his agent ... it gives me a lot of confidence that Mike's going to bounce back,"
Trying to take the negative emotion out of all of this is difficult. Beyond Penix's injury, the fact Kirk Cousins is now the guy again, and the Falcons likely missing out on the postseason, it's hard to look ahead.
But, the fact is, Penix has done this before. Some might see that as a negative, and I can't argue with that opinion. Yet, it can also be taken positively as Morris does here.
Penix has been down this road multiple times and he's come back to play great football throughout his college career. Yes, the NFL is much different and he has yet to truly show consistently-good play as a pro.
Still, what other option is there other than to hope?
Sometimes, as a fan, that's all you can cling to.
The organization could be labeled as a "mess" by some. We could be looking ahead to some major changes, whether it's with Morris and his coaching staff or even as high as Terry Fontenot. And, the majority of this fan base wouldn't bat an eye if it came to that magnitude.
But, for now, we try and stay in the moment and remain with Morris' tone: hope.
Falcons Kirk Cousins Prepared for Starting Opportunity with Falcons Against Saints
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Not much more could’ve gone wrong this year for the struggling Atlanta Falcons, but starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s season-ending injury is the cruelest blow yet.
“My heart breaks for him,” backup quarterback Kirk Cousins said of Penix. “He’s someone who has handled adversity so well through his football journey and he has to do it again. I’m confident he has more good football ahead of him -- more good football ahead of him than behind him, for sure.”
Cousins, the team’s $180 million quarterback who lost his job to Penix late last season after failing to meet expectations (3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 14 starts), will make his second start of the season Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. He made a spot start for Penix last month, completing 21 of 31 for 173 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
But, nonetheless, the 25-year-old Penix needs surgery to repair a torn ACL - for the third time! - which will rule him out for the rest of 2025 and likely the start of 2026, prompting a quarterback controversy in Atlanta.
A quarterback controversy that puts Atlanta in the worst of all worst-case scenarios: Their unproven No. 8 pick is out, and they’re back to leaning on an aging, average Cousins to run an offense on life support.
With that being said, it’s likely that the Falcons’ season is lost. They’ve lost five in a row and sit at 3-7. Their season is hanging by a thread. Their identity is missing. Yet Cousins is fighting not only for a miracle postseason push, but for a sense of belonging.
“I’ve never felt safe in this league,” Cousins said. “I’ve never felt like I’ve got it figured out. I’ve never felt like my job has been earned or deserved. You kind of go out there every day with cameras watching you, coaches evaluating you, teammates counting on you ... you just feel like, ‘I have to today play at a level that would suggest I belong here.’
“That’s kind of been my lived experience for 14 years.”
There’s no guarantee Cousins’ job is safe after this week, but all signs point to that being the case.
Easton Stick is the team’s backup, so if anything were to happen to Cousins, Stick would be the proverbial “next man up.” Kyle Trask, a former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was signed to Atlanta’s practice squad, giving the team another option if things get gradually worse.
“I think it’s an opportunity,” Cousins said. “I’ve got to play at a standard that’s going to give me game two, game three, game four. I don’t think you can say from here it’s seven games; you go earn that with the way you play.
“I don’t think I ever took football for granted. But you certainly appreciate the opportunity you have.”
