MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Falcons sent the NFL draft into a frenzy when they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the draft in April.
The team had signed quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency and was so eager to do so that it violated the league’s tampering rules.
That all seems like ancient history now that Penix is set to make his NFL debut in the exhibition opener against the Dolphins at 7 p.m. Friday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Every quarterback is going to have some type of nerves going into your first ever time stepping out there on an NFL field, whether it’s (an exhibition game) or regular season,” Falcons quarterback coach T.J. Yates said. “But Mike has such a cool demeanor about him. He doesn’t look like anything bothers him.”
With Cousins coming off a rupture Achilles, the Falcons plan to hold him out of the exhibition games. Penix, a native of Tennessee who was raised in Tampa, Florida, is looking forward to the action.
“I’m going to be ready,” Penix said. “Whatever it is, I’m ready to play.”
Here’s a look at five things to watch in the game, which mostly will feature backups:
1. Penix’s debut: Penix has received most of the second-team snaps during training camp and performed well in the joint practices with the Dolphins on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It was fun to be able to go against another team,” Penix said. “We’ve been going against each other for a while now. To see a different color on the other side of the field, competing at the highest level, it was fun.”
He’s looking forward to his NFL debut.
“It’s going to be fun,” Penix said. “It’s a blessing. It’s a dream come true. I’ve always dreamt of being here, but now that I’m here, I have to stay here. I’ve got to show that I belong here.”
The Falcons will likely keep things pretty simple for Penix.
“Just operating the offense efficiently,” Yates said when asked what he wants to see from Penix. “Make sure we have a clean operation ... moving the chains, keeping the ball out of harm’s way.”
2. Penix is progressing: Penix caught the eye of Miami defensive end Calais Campbell during the joint practices. He called Cousins a “legend,” but then added “the Penix kid looks pretty good, too.”
The joint practices weren’t too big for Penix.
“He did very well,” Yates said. “He’s coming a long. The amount of reps that he’s going through the first couple of weeks of training camp have been invaluable for him. He’s starting to figure out how to operate our offense. It’s really good for him to go against another defense.”
While Penix is the franchise’s quarterback of the future, they have not eased him into things.
“The way (defensive coordinator) Jimmy Lake, in practice, has been throwing multiple looks at our second-team offense, the one that Mike has been running with, has been really good for him,” Yates said. “You just go into the practice with your base rules and kind of just make adjustments on the fly.”
Taylor Heinicke and Nathan Rourke are available when Penix comes out.
“Nate just got here,” Yates said. “He’s catching on fast. He’s a smart kid. Hopefully, we can get him up to speed and get him some reps in some of these (exhibition) games to really show what he’s got. He’s a good kid, a talented thrower.”
3. Inside linebackers: Inside linebackers Kaden Elliss, Nate Landman and Troy Andersen likely won’t play.
That will leave a lot of action for rookie J.D. Bertrand, Milo Eilfer and Donavan Mutin.
“Right now, we feel really good about those four guys, particularly when you’re talking about JD being a rookie and those three guys that you’ve seen play,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “Even Milo and Mutin, what they’ve brought from an intensity standpoint to these practices is really high value for us.”
Bertrand, who was drafted in the fifth round out of Notre Dame and played at Blessed Trinity High, is having a strong training camp.
“He’s a guy that has absolutely bought into his role of coming in and learning the defense,” Morris said. “He’s bought into his role of being behind the (middle linebacker), being behind the (weakside linebacker). It doesn’t matter where he lines up. He’s bought into his role of being a special teams player.”
4. Wide receiver depth: Rondale Moore, who suffered a right leg injury Wednesday, was establishing a connection with Penix on the second-team offense.
Moore was listed as the No. 2 receiver behind Darnell Mooney. Casey Washington, Josh Ali and OJ Hiliare were listed behind Moore.
Washington, a rookie, was a sixth-round pick out of Illinois, has made some nice catches in practice.
Ali, who played at Kentucky, played in two games last season and spending most of the season on the practice squad.
Hiliare played five seasons in college at Alabama A&M (2019-21) and Bowling Green (2022-23). He played in 50 career games and caught 205 passes for 2,644 yards and 23 touchdowns.
5. It’s kickoff time: The Falcons and Dolphins worked on the new kickoff rules during the joint practices, but kept it really simple.
Based on the returns in the Hall of Fame game between the Texans and Bears, the coverage teams have an early advantage.
It has been difficult for the return teams to pick up their blocks and create enough space for the returners.
Avery Williams and Moore were listed as the Falcons’ top two kickoff returners.
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