The Atlanta Falcons announced the team's plans for the second preseason game, with Michael Penix Jr. expected to sit out for the second straight week, per team insider Tori McElhaney.
While it is understandable to protect proven players, it is hard to argue against the benefit of reps. Atlanta watched this play out a season ago with Kirk Cousins. Opting to protect the quarterback from preseason reps didn't play out in the Falcons' favor, with Atlanta dropping game one and Cousins being obviously rusty.
Penix getting preseason reps would make a level of sense, at least for a series or two to help condition himself for Week 1. Preseason is a step up in speed from practice, and the regular season jumps another level. It benefits the players to be able to go through the reps. If you doubt this, consider what the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs do every single preseason.
Even with his established level of stardom, Patrick Mahomes is on the field taking consistent preseason reps. One could argue that the rest of the league should learn from what the most accomplished coach chooses to do in preseason action. Regardless, the Falcons remain poised to ignore this wisdom and continue to hold Penix out of the action.
Raheem Morris said Michael Penix Jr. is not likely to play this Friday, but they will have further conversations about Kirk Cousins. Said they'll know more after joint practices.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) August 12, 2025
Falcons Won't Allow Michael Penix Jr. Any Reps in Preseason Week 2
Atlanta noted that a conversation about Kirk Cousins would continue while the franchise holds out on the starter. This just illustrates the flaw in the idea of holding out your second-year quarterback. Cousins isn't going to gain anything from preseason reps that wouldn't benefit Penix as well. If you're logic is simply protecting the health of your quarterback, the same should apply to the veteran backup.
For Penix, it is a lost opportunity to continue to win over the fan base and earn the trust of his teammates. It isn't the first time the Falcons have taken this approach, and both under Raheem Morris and Arthur Smith, it showed up in Week 1.
Atlanta looked slow and unprepared in comparison to teams that did opt to allow starters reps ahead of the regular season. While there is always going to be a level of injury risk, the easy argument is that the additional reps help prepare the players and prevent further regular-season injuries.
No matter where you fall in the debate, fans are going to have to wait at least another week to see Penix take the field. A frustrating fact for a fan base that is ready to turn the page to who they believe is the future of the franchise.