The Falcons look like they have a keeper in their hands.

The Atlanta Falcons cleaned house in the offseason as they looked to fashion for themselves a new beginning. What better way for the Falcons to start a new era than to draft a new quarterback, which they did by selecting Michael Penix Jr., the star QB for Washington, with the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Penix, however, is slated to be QB2 in his rookie year, although the Falcons are giving him a chance to impress by starting him in their first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.

There are a lot of factors that go into playing time decisions that are beyond Penix’s control. All he could do is to focus on the parts of the game he has a hand in, and one of them is his mental approach to the game. Despite the Falcons’ 20-13 defeat to the Dolphins, the 24-year-old quarterback was having fun out there, enjoying the fact that he is out there on an NFL field.

“It felt good. It was fun to be able to be out here and compete with my brothers. Just having fun out there, playing the game that I’ve been playing since I was five years old. No nerves, no jitters. I was just ready to go,” Penix said in his postgame presser, via Greg Auman of FOX Sports.

Michael Penix Jr. had some good moments in his preseason debut for the Falcons; he completed nine of his 16 passing attempts on the night for a total gain of 104 yards, and he looked like a natural out there on the gridiron. But as is the case with every young quarterback, there will be plenty of growing pains that await. Whatever the case may be, expect Penix to continue playing his heart out like he has always done.

Michael Penix Jr. to learn the ropes for the Falcons as QB2 behind Kirk Cousins

Michael Penix Jr. definitely caught the attention of a few talent evaluators with the way he performed for the Falcons despite their preseason opener loss to the Dolphins. He was composed from the snap, connecting on a long downfield pass with wide receiver Chris Blair in an impressive play that shows that he has the tools to flourish as a future QB1.

However, Kirk Cousins was signed by the Falcons to a huge four-year, $180 million deal. Penix might be entrenched as the QB2 for a while. But the 24-year-old QB out of Washington may threaten Cousins’ QB1 standing long before anyone expects him to.