Is Michael Penix Jr. looking over his shoulder with Kirk Cousins still on Falcons roster?

Some NFL analysts and reporters suggested throughout the offseason that the Atlanta Falcons should essentially take whatever they could get for veteran Kirk Cousins.

That move would have avoided a potentially awkward situation related to the club entering springtime workouts with 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. serving as its full-time starting quarterback. 

Cousins nevertheless has remained with the Falcons through the early days of training camp. During a recent chat with NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot insisted that having Cousins on the roster won't be a negative for Penix anytime soon.

"He's got that natural confidence, and that keeps him from looking over his shoulder at anybody," Fontenot said about Penix. "So no, it's been super smooth."

Penix replaced a struggling Cousins in the Atlanta starting lineup last December but ultimately lost two of three starts. In total, the 25-year-old completed 58.1% of 105 pass attempts for 775 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions as a rookie. He also notched a rushing score.

"Mike is a natural leader," Falcons quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams told Graziano. "The main thing nobody really talks about with leadership is that you've got to be authentic. Got to be yourself. And he was a great teammate last year, understanding that this was Kirk's team but in his own way finding ways to be a leader. You saw guys he was throwing to in practice, guys on the scout team all gravitated toward him, and it was the same way once he became the starter."

That's all well and good, but such comments seem to ignore the idea that some Atlanta players may feel that a fully healthy Cousins is the best quarterback on the team's roster this summer. Cousins has a no-trade clause attached to his contract, and his wife grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia. By all accounts, he has been a loyal soldier for the Falcons while spending training camp practices as the club's second-choice option at the position. 

"There's all that stuff outside, but in the building, he's been an ultimate professional," Fontenot said about Cousins. "He handles things the right way. ... Where we could have an issue is, 'What's the mindset of the starter? What's the mindset of Kirk?' But they're both professionals, so it's been good."

Atlanta opens the regular season with a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7 before the Falcons hit the road for a Week 2 matchup at the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 14. Despite Fontenot's comments, one can't help but wonder if the Falcons could turn back to Cousins if they are 0-2 heading into their Week 3 contest at the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 21.