Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. opens up about being benched in blowout loss to Panthers

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris raised eyebrows when he benched starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in favor of veteran backup Kirk Cousins in the fourth quarter of what became a 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers that dropped Atlanta to 1-2 on the season.

Morris later insisted that Penix will remain his QB1 after the second-year pro completed 18-of-36 pass attempts for 172 yards and two interceptions against Carolina. 

Michael Penix Jr. "not ok" with being benched

"I'm never OK with not playing," Penix admitted while speaking with reporters after Sunday's game, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN. "At the end of the day, I listened to my head coach, and he did what he felt was best for the team and the decision that was made by him. So, I've got to respect it, and I've got to be there to support Kirk whenever he is out there. He does that for me."

Cousins has been the subject of trade rumors ever since he lost his starting job to Penix due to poor play in December 2024. However, the fact that Atlanta held onto the 37-year-old through the offseason understandably caused some to wonder if Penix could be a couple of poor starts away from being relegated back to QB2 duties. Josh Kendall of The Athletic noted that Morris referred to Sunday's blowout defeat as "an all-time low" moment and a "very humbling game." 

What's gone wrong for Michael Penix Jr.?

According to Pro Football Reference, Penix began Monday ranked 29th in the NFL among qualified players with a 58.6 percent completion percentage and 28th with a 71.3 passer rating for the season. Over the campaign's first three games, he tossed one touchdown pass and two interceptions. 

"I think he just missed his throws today," Morris said about Penix following Sunday's brutal outing, according to Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' website. "We won't make excuses for him. ...We did not play well in any phase, and he did not play well himself, either, and we did not play well around him. We have to play better across the board."

As of Monday morning, ESPN BET had the Falcons as 2.5-point underdogs for this coming Sunday's home game versus the 2-1 Washington Commanders. If Penix does not play better against Washington, Atlanta theoretically could use its Week 5 bye to get Cousins ready to start against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 13. 3-0 Buffalo hosts the 0-3 New Orleans Saints this Sunday.