Raheem Morris didn’t mince words when asked about his quarterback situation on August 18 in Atlanta. The Falcons‘ head coach laid it down plainly: “Michael Penix Jr. won’t get out there, and Kirk Cousins won’t get out there.” That single line echoed louder than anything else, hinting at how carefully Morris is playing his cards ahead of the new season.

Meanwhile, that cautious approach has stretched across the entire preseason. Heading into the final matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on August 24 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. have stayed completely sidelined. Instead, it’s been Easton Stick and the Falcons’ latest, rather surprising, addition—Ben DiNucci—tasked with holding down the fort. And yes, you read that right, DiNucci is wearing Atlanta colors after what felt like the most unusual roster announcement of the summer.

DiNucci didn’t exactly slip in under the radar. “I signed with the Falcons this morning,” he said. Drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round back in 2020, he managed three appearances as a rookie, even starting one game while throwing for 219 yards. So, the decision to bring in DiNucci feels like insurance. After all, the Falcons’ reliance on Penix Jr. has been a talking point all offseason.

JT Sports’ Jordan Taylor broke it down best, saying, “I thought he was really impressive in his first three starts in the NFL last year, but he hasn’t proven enough to warrant not getting any action in the preseason. You don’t want him to get injured. That’s understandable. But you at least want Michael Penix out there for at least one or two drives.” The concern is clear: Atlanta’s coaching staff may be leaning too heavily on a young(ish) arm that still needs more real reps.

Moreover, the risk of rust is real. Quarterbacks who don’t see snaps in August often stumble out of the gate. Nobody in Atlanta wants to see a week-one box score like seven completions on 24 attempts with just 90 yards. It’s a reminder that even elite veterans have delivered clunky openers after sitting through a preseason without touches.

And yes, context matters. As Taylor added, “If you’re somebody like Lamar or Patrick Mahomes, yeah, you don’t need to play in the preseason because you’ve already shown us enough based off your body of work these past three, four years, Michael Penix with him being so young in the NFL.” That’s the balancing act Morris is wrestling with. Yes, Penix Jr. remains QB1 for the Falcons, but with no snaps under his belt.

Penix Jr. shows leadership matters more than preseason snaps

The Falcons’ joint practice with the Titans turned into more than just a scrimmage for Michael Penix Jr. The rookie QB had just connected with Ray Ray McCloud on a touchdown and celebrated after some “words” came his way from Titans players. But before the moment could settle, things got heated, and Penix suddenly found himself on the turf in the middle of an unexpected scuffle.

That chaos quickly turned into a show of solidarity. His teammates wasted no time stepping in. Penix admitted he didn’t want any fight breaking out, but it was clear his teammates weren’t about to leave him hanging. Matthew Bergeron even posted the clip on X, showing Penix thanking his teammates after practice. His caption said it all: “My mf qb!!! Real.” That one line captured exactly how the locker room feels about their young quarterback.

Moreover, those words carried over beyond social media. Fans in the comments section echoed the same love, and Penix himself acknowledged it during his presser. “But to see the team have my back and they were there, make sure they protect me. A lot of guys asked me if I was good. Yeah, it was good to know that those guys didn’t have that,” he said. It was the kind of response that showed just how strong the chemistry inside the Falcons’ locker room already is.

And, his teammates didn’t hesitate for a second before rushing to defend him, and that says plenty about his standing. As QB coach D.J. Williams put it, “I take the positive out of it. Like you saw the guys take up for him. And I think that speaks to his leadership and who he is in that locker room. … Obviously, he has the relationship and the trust of the guys because everybody ran to his defense. So I think that’s a good thing for the Falcons.”

That trust may be the exact reason Penix Jr. is already sitting at QB1 on Atlanta’s depth chart, even ahead of Kirk Cousins.