“The light at the end of the tunnel for us, despite how bad and poor we played on defense or anywhere is the quarterback,” Morris said. “Michael Penix is certainly outstanding. He certainly one of the guys that's going to play in this league and absolutely dominate for us as long as we allow him.”

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris gave massive props to Michael Penix Jr. after season-ending loss to the Carolina Panthers.

ATLANTA — So, the Michael Penix Jr. Era has begun with a blowout. For all the chatter we’ve heard from Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris about “the plan” for his quarterback position ...

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris: “The light at the end of the tunnel for us, despite how bad and poor we played on defense or anywhere is the quarterback. … Michael Penix is certainly outstanding. He certainly one of the guys that’s going to play in this league and absolutely…

Finally, head coach Raheem Morris benched Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. The Falcons offense took a major leap with Penix under center, but they still finished with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.

Trusting Atlanta's judgement The same front office that drafted Penix didn't trust the quarterback enough to give him the reins. Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins

Even with the Falcons missing out on the postseason for the seventh straight year, though, there was a feeling of optimism after this loss—largely because of Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons rookie ...

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr. will make his third start for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It probably will be the final start of his rookie season, but that’s enough for head coach Raheem Morris to feel validated for selecting Penix eighth in last year’s draft.

Thomas Dimitroff's first-ever pick was Matt Ryan, the greatest player in franchise history. The stability and success Ryan brought to the Falcons kept

Atlanta Falcons fans hoping for a change in leadership this offseason are going to be disappointed. The team has made it clear they are moving forward with GM T

The Falcons fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers on Jan. 11 following first-year coach Raheem Morris' sharp criticism of his defense's disappointing finish.

Under the direction of first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and run-game coordinator Dwayne Ledford, the Falcons finished in the top half of the NFL in the four key categories: total yards (369.8 yards, sixth); passing (239.3 yards, fifth), rushing (130.5, 10th) and points (22.9, 13th).